Teacher with tats and gauged ears?

Question

im a very smart and intellectual student studying at Gonzaga U. to become a highschool teacher. none of my tattoos are visible when i am dressed inbsinsattire (i have a half sleeve and a bunch of others none of which are offensive). however, my ears are gauged. i could take the plugs out now and let them heal up because i still hve 2 years of schooling left, but i would love to keep them in. i know tats and piercings affect the interview, no matter how unbiased they say te school board is.

has anyone had expirience with this or know any of the general rules regarding teaching and piercigns and tattoos? thanks and god bless.

Answer 1

tattoos are always fine covered up.

piercings in ears aren't very drastic

trust me you're good.

if girl teachers can have their ears pierced why not you?

as long as you haven't hole-punched your face, with a mohawk, with a tattooed body, you are good.

lol btw where is Gonzaga U?

i'm going to college next year @ humboldt state in northern ca.

good luck being a teach.

Answer 2

I've worked in schools for years and have my tongue pierced and have tattoos. The principal asked me about the piercing once but as it doesn't effect my teaching it is not an issue. I would say that it has given me an advantage. My students don't se me as some old idiot who doesn't understand them.  

Answer 3

I'm glad you asked this. I have 2 years of education left and I also have an alternative look to myself. I would hate to have to change my appearance for school, but i will if I have to.

Answer 4

yeah it will probably affect a job interview.. but personally i think it'd be awesome to have a teacher with tats and guages...

Answer 5

Honestly, first impressions are made within the firs three seconds and the gauges will probably cause a bad first impression.  There is a professional code that all educators must follow and I feel that the gauged ears would violate that code.  Imagine if two candidates were equally educated etc. BUT one had some piercings that they weren't sure about...they'd hire the other person over you...are your piercings worth that?!?  Something you have to decide.  I think the field is getting more competitive since the budget cuts and the economy downturn...you need each and every advantage you can get over the next person.  Good luck.

Answer 6

I worked at a catholic high school, as a teacher, for three years with gauges in my ears without any issue.  In fact, students were more willing to accept me as a new teacher and authority figure because I mirrored a select few of their own trends.  In those three years, not one parent ever commented to me or my superiors about my appearance.  If a school gives you the shot, not looking like every other teacher does have some benefits.  

Answer 7

that seems fine i dont see why there would be a problem specially when your really smart:)

Answer 8

you will have a difficult time find a job in a centrist community. You have no chance of getting one in a conservative one. Schools hire in part as a fit to the community - they dont want to get complaints from their parents.

Listen - no one said it would be fair - Im in Los Angeles - and I doubt someone could get past the first interview with gauged ears.

Think of it this way - if I went to my interview in clothes that the interviewer thought was not formal enough - that right there might cost me the job.

Finally - whats the point of body art? an outward expression of who you are - - you are about to enter a profession that is an embodiment of who you are. I say the trade off is well worth it.

Answer 9

I have tattoos and my nose peirced. I worked at  Southern Baptist school and I was ok. If you can look that at a Baptist School, then you will be fine anywhere.    

Answer 10

I think honestly, you have to look at it as if you were sitting across from the parents of who's kids you'll be teaching.  That is how these interviewers will be thinking.

My advice... take them out.  Do the interview and if you get it, address it at that point.  The bottom line, you want to the job right?

Get it, and the rest are details.

Good luck to you!

Answer 11

There aren't any general rules.  Each school sets their own dress code, and it can vary a lot!  My girlfriend had purple hair for awhile.  Some of her college professors thought that she should dye it because it could affect her chances of getting a job.  Her junior year she kept it, but her senior year, one of the schools that she taught in had a rule against teachers having "unnatural" hair colors (and visible tattoos I might add) so she died it brown.  

Now she is a substitute teacher for several districts all of which have different requirements.  Because this has been an issue in the past, we tend to watch what the other teachers have.  Some schools have teachers with visible tattoo's, gauged ears, and facial piercings.  Some have rules against it.

My advice is that if it is important to you, keep the gauges.  You will find a job where that part of yourself is accepted.  On the other hand, if you think it is just a passing thing and not important to you, then take them out to give yourself that slight extra advantage.