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23692. Ms. No - 3/1/2008 11:47:28 PM I have a car again which I am thankful for every single day. I bought new bathroom rugs, a floor lamp, a work lamp to replace the one that fell victim to a rambunctious guest a few months ago and submitted my application to volunteer at the SPCA.
I'm running errands like mad simply because I can. Hell, I even paid my rent early.
Now the projects on the horizon are putting together my new filing cabinet and then putting my important stuff into it and tossing the rest of the huge pile of paper that seems to grow overnight.
Mostly I'm just puttering around today until it's time to go meet my friend for a beer this afternoon. ;-> 23693. arkymalarky - 3/2/2008 12:12:07 AM I've been informed I really can't show up to teach in my jeans and flip-flops.
For the first time in at least 25 years--maybe the first time ever--we have a dress code and can only wear jeans on Friday. I hate it. I really feel like I do a better job and interact with the kids better when I dress down, because I do better when I'm more comfortable. I'm not comfortable spending a whole day at work dressed up. I have a few nice pairs of heels (thanks Judith for the ones I wear most often!!) and I dress up for parent/teacher conferences and other occasions, but I generally dress down without jeans (thanks again for the great pants, Judith! I wear them ALL the time).
I could retire after next year if I want to. I'm not going to stress about dress. What gets me is that Mose voted for the dress code. I was one of five people who voted against it.
23694. Ms. No - 3/2/2008 12:18:49 AM Yeesh. It's not like you guys had a problem with teachers showing up in crop-tops and Daisy-Dukes or anything. I just can't understand it for a small rural school. In a larger venue where the kids may not all know who all the teachers are and you need that added authority in the halls or something, sure, but not in small schools unless you've got some whacky teacher who can't dress in any way appropriately. 23695. arkymalarky - 3/2/2008 12:51:38 AM And in schools that have high poverty it helps not to overdress, in my experience. There's more involved than clothes, but I've seen plenty of fancy dressing teachers who got no respect from their students and got a lot less teaching done than I do. I got an interesting defense in my absence recently from colleagues, one of whom is a former student, over my performance as opposed to a longtime colleague who always wears a white shirt and dress slacks. 23696. alistairConnor - 3/2/2008 12:53:30 AM Busy times No... how did the Monologues go? 23697. wonkers2 - 3/2/2008 1:04:22 AM As long as your butt crack isn't showing, Arky! 23698. Ms. No - 3/2/2008 1:33:09 AM We only had two performances so the pressure was on --- no long run to really settle in and get things right. The first show went fine but the lights made my eyes water something fierce which infuriated me. It made it look like I was crying. It apparently impressed the hell out of some of the audience members, but it's really not the direction we were going with the monologue I did. I was really irritated by it.
The second (and last) performance was much better. I felt solid on it and it was the best I'd ever performed it. Nice to get it right at least once before we closed. ;->
Also, no unintentional waterworks for which I was very grateful! 23699. Ulgine Barrows - 3/2/2008 1:27:39 PM Cool, Ms No.
I have no idea how I'd get up there and do what you did.
Damn those tear ducts! 23700. arkymalarky - 3/2/2008 4:58:45 PM HEY ULGINE! 23701. judithathome - 3/2/2008 7:29:52 PM Arky, I don't think a dress code for teachers is needed unless there is one for students...if students have to wear uniforms, I think teachers should be held to a "code" standard, too. But as MsNo says, in a rural school where some kids do well to even GET to school, I think there are much more important things to worry about and I knoiw for a fact you do better than any teacher in Prada!
It's not the clothes that make the teacher. 23702. judithathome - 3/2/2008 7:32:00 PM That said, killer shoes, MsNo! They will also look great with pants...like a boot.
If I were you, I'd definitely trade out the flats with the heels...don't mess up your knees, no matter what you do! 23703. arkymalarky - 3/2/2008 9:47:13 PM Thanks, Judith!
I don't think I could teach in a school that required students to wear uniforms. Our dress code is pretty typical, but probably more conservative than a lot of districts. Our former principal used to tell the kids at the beginning of every year that she didn't want to see the "three b's--butts, boobs, and bellies." 23704. Ms. No - 3/3/2008 9:18:44 AM Hi Ulgine!
I grew up doing it. Both my parents were actors and I was in my firt play at 4 years old so it was never anything that seemed scary to me --- unless I had to sing solo and that used to terrify me. It still can make me really nervous but that's mostly after the fact --- my hands sometimes shake when I'm done. 23705. Ms. No - 3/3/2008 9:21:40 AM Juditha,
Yeah, I'm going to have to train myself to heels. I figure some excercises to strengthen the muscles supporting my knees won't go amiss either. I'm sadly out of shape and really noticing it these last couple of months when I'm not walking to class all the time. 23706. thoughtful - 3/3/2008 3:58:13 PM I've added heels back to my wardrobe to wear with pants and i've noticed two things...the height of the heel matters. Even a 1/2" higher can make it much more stressful to walk in. Toe shape matters...rounded toes leave lots more room than pointed toes. I also look for cushioned or rubber soles whenever possible as they do make standing much more tolerable and slipping less likely.
The other thing is that flats are back. Ballet slipper types and others that have some style and flare can be a lot more comfortable and look great with skirts. 23707. judithathome - 3/3/2008 11:10:37 PM Remember a few years ago when I was bemoaning the lack of really good...and cute...flat shoes? They have finally caught up to me! 23708. thoughtful - 3/3/2008 11:40:36 PM Yeah...I've since found some nice ones at Liz Claiborne...fortunately we have an outlet nearby. 23709. Jenerator - 3/4/2008 5:23:39 AM And in schools that have high poverty it helps not to overdress, in my experience
I think I am somewhere in the middle on this. My previous boss, who was a principal in the hood, ALWAYS wore a suit and said that if we're professionals, we dress professionally. Like or not, we ARE judged by how we dress. When we dress like schlepps, we're looked down on. When we dress a notch higher than everyone else, we're respected.
23710. Jenerator - 3/4/2008 5:25:37 AM Most of the schools in this area are on standardized dress. Basically, the kids have to dress as though they work at Target - I.e. one colored polos tucked into khakis, belted at the waist with brown or black close toed shoes.
Only the private schools require uniforms. 23711. Ms. No - 3/4/2008 9:32:12 AM I'm not so much concerned with whether my students respect my fashion sense as I'm concerned with getting detention if I'm stopped in the hall without a pass and mistaken for a student.
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