Re: Dress code

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Re: Dress code
By Mary

Maybe it's my age and my parochial school upbringing, but I have always felt that if you want to be treated as a professional, you should dress as one. When I worked in a middle school, some of the faculty dressed so casually
that it was hard to tell who were the teachers and who were the students some days!! As a matter of fact, when I did my student teaching, the building principal (a wonderful older gentleman from the Old School) would include appropriatenss of dress in our evaluations.
I aim for a professional,but understated, look. Since I teach elementary kids, I'm not going to wear a suit and

heels or a dressy dress to work. I never have, and never will wear, jeans to school even on days when that is allowed. It just isn't me. I do tend to lean towards dressier slacks or a casual skirt with a blouse or knit top (not a tee shirt). I have a collection of vests, both knitted and fabric, that I often wear to give a finished look to my outfit. Many of the vests have a seasonal or holiday motif that allow me to avoid an overly-stodgy appearance. As for shoes, unfortunately, bad knees have forced me to resort to sneakers or other non-cool footwear in order to be able to move around comfortably. I'm not talking running shoes or clunkers here, but rather something that gives adequate support to my aching knees. I have several pairs in black, beige, and white that allow my feet to blend in with whatever my outfit of the day is.