Do you agree with teachers having these rules?

I'm not going to give my opinion on this, at least not right now. But I do want to say, one of the strongest arguments for such rules, is to establish a sense of order and equality. If everyone is as close to the same as possible, then it is their merits, not their style or material expressions, that garner them praise or acknowledgement.

There are issues with that line of thinking, th--

I said I wasn't going to give my opinion on this, yet, ha. Almost slipped up there...

 

Sorry teaching is one of those jobs that requires a "professional appearance". On a subconscious level seeing a teacher wearing a professional outfit without things like visible tattoos, visible piercings (other than one in each ear), or unnatural hair color automatically suggests authority and establishes them as Leader of the classroom".

It goes with the job. If a lawyer entered the courtroom wearing blue jeans (sagging so his underwear were showing), a baggy t-shirt, a gold chain, his hat sideways, and tattooed "Sleeves" showing on his arms would you hire him? Probably not, because there is a certain level of professionalism that you expect and he doesn't have it. He may be the best lawyer in the world but I highly doubt you hire him. Teaching is the same way.

 

In the uk students are expected to wear school uniforms which usually involve shirt and tie and blazer and there are the same rules re piercings hair even makeup for students as there are for teachers. There's many good arguments for and against school uniforms which I can't be bothered with now but point is if you're expecting students to dress in a certain way it's important that the staff meet the same standards too

On discrimination against lgbt for teaching jobs well I don't think we need to discuss where everyone here would stand on that but I'd say it's not really a problem in uk education

 

I don't want teachers dressing as if they're my fellow students. I don't expect my German teacher to come in with her hair spiked, wearing tracksuit pants, a T-shirt and in studded shoes, telling me how to engage in German business etiquette. There would be something disconcerting about that; for all that I may like my teachers, it's important for there to be a barrier of maturity and conduct between students and teachers. That is a sort of professional distance I feel clothing and appearance help solidify.

Teachers are supposed to have an air of authority to them; clothing is a very obvious indicator of social cues, and professionalism comes under that.

 

I think these social "norms" do nothing but breed snobbish attitudes and divide the teacher-student relationship even further.

At my college/school (Age range from 18 months to 18 years old) teachers can wear whatever the Hell they like and I think that freedom has helped a great deal with stuff like students feeling equal to teachers and not having any fear towards them, I think a friendly relationship is a much better option than an authoritarian one...

And besides, there's nothing cooler than realising that you buy your T-Shirts from the same shop as your teacher or a student asking a teacher where they got their nose pierced.

To Hell with snobbish "professionalism"!

 

Friendliness doesn't have to mean equality. I don't think it would be good if a teacher didn't have control of their class, the ability to direct discussion and have the structure according to how they'll best teach.

I think there's a difference between fearing your teachers and respecting them within the boundaries of a student-teacher relationship. I think it really helps students and teachers to have that separation, especially for helping students develop emotional maturity and independence. That doesn't mean students can't rely on teachers for help and can't be friendly, but I do think there must be a clear line; I don't think teachers ought to be students' friends.

 

I do tend to agree. I think teachers should wear more professional clothing. If I was a parent, I wouldn't want to see one of my children's teachers dressed in clothing meant for teens or causal clothing that you would wear to a rock concert. Causal smart is usually the way to go I think.. I work in a contact centre for a government department and the public don't see us and we are even dressed professionally in dress pants, or skirts for and nice tops or shirts, dresses and also a blazer or cardigan. We also wear name tags as well and it just looks really nice to see everyone dressed the same and dressed in a professional manner for work. When you are someone in an authority position, it will give you more respect to wear the right clothes for the job.

 

Students are, however, more likely, in my humble opinion, to be more enthusiastic and engaged if the person teaching them does it in a more direct/equal/friendly/down to Earth way than in a Victorian-esque "respect your elders" way.

In my opinion education should be about breaking down barriers not building them...

 

Perhaps our learning styles are different, but having a teacher, an expert in what's being discussed, being able to teach from that position of superior knowledge, is certainly more valuable to me than camaraderie. I make jokes with my teachers occasionally, I contradict them if I have a different view, but I expect to be corrected when I'm wrong, and I don't want teachers to treat my opinion equally when they're the expert in what's on-hand. I don't know the collection of poems I'm studying at the moment nearly as well as my literature teacher; her authority is certainly what matters in discussions about it.

When we talk about the authority of teachers, it's not the Victorian values of brutal enforcement of control. It's the natural authority of expertise and training that teachers have.

It becomes a serious ethical issue when teachers aren't able to separate their personal and professional relationships.

 

But all of what you mention can be achieved quite easily by a teacher with tattoos, a "messy" appearence and a friendly attitude towards students. If the teacher is good enough there can be a balance between being friendly and approachable and having the respect of the class as is the case with 99% of the teachers at my college.

It all seems to boil down to snobbish attitudes masquerading as the deliciously popular term "professionalism" Judging a teacher, and possibly reaching the levels of not allowing them to teach, based upon on their appearence and dress sense is completely tragic.

 

I've seen this a lot on the TV lately, I think it's ridiculous.
People have a right to dress they way they want to but of course it has to be within reason for the job. A Teacher obviously would have to restrain from wearing some types of clothing. Just because someone isn't the "Normal" looking teacher doesn't mean they can't be an authority figure.
In my School everyone had to wear a Uniform, you were not allowed to dye your hair, have any piercings or even your wear own jacket. I had a few teachers who had different styles to the "normal" teacher and it didn't distract away from or take away they fact that they were excellent teachers, In fact I think everyone felt more comfortable around them and were more willing to work.

As for the whole Tattoo thing, It really annoys me. Can you imagine being told you can't have this job you are more then qualified for just because you have a visible tattoo.

 

I totally agree with you here.

I understand peoples concerns about teachers not looking professional, blurring the line between teacher and friend, or seeming not grown-up enough for the job because tattoos, piercings and colourful hair seem rather juvenile.

But teachers are people, too, and they try to express themselves as everyone else does. I'd rather have a teacher who is comfortable in their own skin and therefore can teach a class with confidence and 'their style', than a teacher who dresses up and pretends to be someone they're not for the simple reason of not challanging the norm...
And having said tattoos, piercings or colourful hair doesn't mean that this person can't radiate an air of rationality and credibility. In my opinion it rather shows that this person is comfortable with who they are, so why should I be uncomfortable with their choice of external expression?

And to be honest, why does it even matter how a teacher dresses? That might influence the first impression, I give you that. But when it comes to teaching there's so much more that qualifies one as a good teacher than how you look ever has or ever will. A good teacher can look whatever way they want to. In teaching it's about knowing what you do and how you do it, that's what matters, not how you look while doing it...

I have to admit I might be a bit biased on this topic, since I myself seek to be a teacher in the not so far away future. And to be honest, this kind of questions have occupied my mind quite a bit in the past. I don't have a piercing (except my ears) or a tattoo, and one of the main reasons is that I do want to get a job when I'm done with my studies, so this is not my biggest concern when it comes to that.

But what I worry about is that I identify as female at large, but have a rather masculine style of clothing. Which means I don't really dress feminine and therefore look different than the norm, I guess.
Does this mean I shouldn't be allowed to teach kids, because I look different then the rest of the female teachers? Does that really make me a bad teacher? Or question my integrity? I don't think so. It's just the way I feel comfortable with myself.
I don't know about you guys, but dressing feminine makes me self-conscious and insecure, and that's the least I wanna be in front of 30 puberal teens... And believe me, I tried that during my first internship. I dressed 'feminine' (what I consider feminine might not necessarily be your idea of feminine...) to appear professional. And I didn't feel comfortable in my skin. The next internship I did, I dressed more true to myself. And it does make a difference.

If having your piercings or tattoos or colored hair is what makes you comfortable with yourself, I say go for it, because facing 30 kids every morning, who can sense if you are secure or not, can be really challanging, so you really should do everything to be confident. You shouldn't have to pretend to be someone you're not.

That's my two cents worth.

 

I completely agree with Yosia and IJustWantToLove.

A good teacher is a good teacher, and how they wear or look should be of no concern at all.
I find such concepts to be old-fashioned, restrictive, too traditional and dangerous to the freedom of expression and the greater goal of teaching kids to just be themselves.

 

About dying hair etc. , I think the school wants to have a good self-image through the public image of the students. I guess that is why they dun allow piercing, tatoos etc.

 

Teachers at the schools I've gone to can wear pretty much what they want within reasonable limits. I think it's great that they show a part of who they are as it makes them more "real" and relatable.

However, it's sort of a problem here that teachers become to much of a friend. Some students don't give them the respect they should. It becomes difficult to keep order in class etc. I don't think how the teacher dresses is the main cause of this though.

 

Exactly. Being able to keep order in class has nothing to do with the teachers style of cloth or body modifications... It's all about attitude and presence in my opinion.
People might argue that having a relaxed style as a teacher allows the kids to be unrespectful. I don't agree. The students might test the waters of how far they can go without having to fear consequences. But that's done with every teacher, dressed conservative or relaxed...

 

To what I've witnessed and experienced it's true. The teachers who were more themselves and friendly towards student, gained more attention and respect from students. Where as the strict ruled followed teacher's gained a lack of attention and "forced" respect.

But to each their own, different places different people.

 

Teaching kids to be themselves is a top priority, however there must be clear boundaries for what a teacher can wear.

While expressing yourself is important, it is also important to remember that you are a teacher who is in a position of trust and authority. To deny that your appearance is relatively important is ridiculous.

Would you find it acceptable for a teacher to come in wearing a tank top and shorts (because that expresses them best)?