What could a student teacher wear, age 20?

Question

when i go student teaching, i feel like i'm overdressed...especially for a class of elementary children, i'll understand that i should dress nicer if it was for like high school...but i just feel too dressed up for children that are 10 and under...like a whole suit outfit (dress pants, nice shirt/button shirt, blazer/jacket, heels)...i can handle wearing heels all day, but i dont think i would want to cuz it will get to me sooner or later, and i don't like wearing flats, for some reason i just don't like them...im ok with the dress pants, but the blazer and button shirt makes me feel too dressy for elementary children...

and another thing, what do you guys think about teachers OR students teachers with dyed hair, a color thats not "natural"...i have naturally black hair and currently have pink streaks in them (but im letting them fade/grow)...does that make me seem "unprofessional"...there's a high school teacher on "so you think you can dance" with blonde and bright red streaks

Answer 1

For clothing:

Make cardigans your best friend.

Pair with wide or straight leg tailored trousers.

Add ballet flats, kitten heels, or pumps and you're good to go!

Casual days: Khakis or clean, nice jeans (if your district allows). Polo shirts are always an easy go-to.

As for the pink streaks -

Straight shooting here... if you want to be taken seriously as such a young teacher, you should probably lose them. Some parents balk at seeing a young teacher, so you don't want to give them any ammo to use against you. (Hey, you were growing them out anyway right?)  In the end, it all depends on the nature of your school/district population and attitudes.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

It really depends on the school. The best advice I can give is to talk to the teacher you will be student teaching under, they are the person who can tell you what kind of dress code the staff at the school have and what would be best to wear. Flats are better to wear since you will be on your feet all day, but really it's a matter of preference. My profs always tell us to wear clothes that are dressy casual. You could probably get away with a nice pair of jeans and a dress shirt (depends on the school).

You will probably have to dye your hair a solid color as it could prove to be a distraction in the classroom ( not to mention it could appear unprofessional).

Answer 3

Dress professional casual.

Lose the streaks.

Your teacher is required to fill out weekly forms and will ask if you are reflecting the district's policies. Are you dressing professionally.. which means dressing professionally, maintaining your hygiene, grooming, and naturally maintaining your hair.

You may have seen teachers look colorful. This is because their jobs know them and have given or not given their approval. You are just starting out and don't want to show that your already bucking the system.

Hold off or hide the streaks until you get your position in the system then see what your principal will feel good about.

Primarily parents will be your ultimate judge and jury.. if they complain.. find fault with your looks during your professional career .. that could ruin your want for streaks.

Answer 4

You could always go with the preppy look. Dress pants and a regular sweater? Old Navy has some beautiful cheap options. I think that its appropriate for teaching kids. Or a nice summer dress down to your knees.

If anyone has a problem with the pink streaks in your hair, they are stuck up *******. The kids will probably think you are cool and will be more at ease with you because of it.

Answer 5

You definitely do not need to get dressed up with the whole suit outfit. A suit is very nice and very professional to wear to an interview, but is not required in the classroom. You could get away with wearing dress pants and a button up, collered shirt to student teach in.  Wear dress pants and a clean, cotton shirt, for example. I know it sounds strange, but this is really true. I'm not talking about a regular tshirt, but rather something as simple as a v-neck or a crew neck shirt in a flattering color. These are comfortable and cool (it gets hot when you're moving around all the time!) If you wanted, you could bring a blazer to throw on in case someone important comes into the room like a parent you need to conference with or a principal you're trying to impress.

As far as shoes go, find something that you will be comfortable in. If you can wear heels all day, go for it. I find myself kicking off my shoes and walking around barefoot in my room, though, whenever I wear heels. You could probably get away with and be more comfortable with heels that are less than a 1/2 inch.

You will have to start looking in stores like NY&C and The Limited for clothes that you like. If you search often enough, you will find something stylish that will work for you (or something you can make stylish by adding jewelry to it). I am only a couple years older than you, and have found that I have to force myself to look in stores I wouldn't normally look in for clothes these days.

Finally (sorry this is so long!), about your hair. I would suggest, for now at least, letting your pink streaks fade away and/or coloring them out. When you are student teaching, you are marketing the whole package, not just your great teaching skills (unfortunately). There will be some schools, administrators, or teachers who will look down on you if you are interviewing with pink streaks in your hair (not that I would...I love it!). Also, especially since you are in elementary schools, there might be some parents who think that you do not look professional.

Do whatever you feel comfortable with, but remember that you are marketing the "whole shebang" and go in feeling confident and looking great. Good luck!

Answer 6

Go to Lerner's they have a lot of dressy casual clothing that isn't too dressy for elementary kids. That's where I used to shop when I was working at JC Penney because I didn't want to be too dressy but I wanted to look my age (I'm in my 20's) and well put together.

Answer 7

I teach 3rd grade and I wear jeans all 180 days a year, but my district allows that.  Most don't allow it every day.

When I student taught (and then taught) in a different district I just wore khakis or black slacks with sweaters or button up tops over tanks.  You don't want to wear nice clothes to school--they're just going to get ruined.  Khakis and black slacks of a similar material make for a good balance between professional and comfortable.  

As for the hair thing, it depends on your district.  I have yet to teach in one where they really cared, but I do know that other districts and states are much stricter.  

Teachers do have to be role models, sure.  But we don't have to be unrealistic portrayals of who we really are.

Answer 8

You can probably find a blouse and jacket that would seem younger than a button-down shirt and blazer.  There are a lot of different styles and shapes, and I see a lot of people your age even wearing things like that to class at college.  You can probably get away with some more fun colors and nontraditional fabrics that would work.  I do think that the idea of a jacket of some sort immediately makes you look more professional, even if it is more shaped than a blazer.  

As to shoes, I don't know many elementary school teachers who wear heels on a regular basis.  Since you hate flats, what about things like wedges (which come in various heights) or kitten heels?  

For your hair, the problem isn't with the kids, who would probably find your pink streaks "cool".  You need to keep in mind that you are being evaluated by people who are undoubtedly quite a bit older than you are, and you don't want something as stupid as the color of your hair to jeopardize your career.  I would use more natural streaks, or temporary color when you want to go out, at least while you are student teaching and for the first year or so of your career.  Once you get to know what matters to the master teachers and administrators at your school, you may be able to go back to less natural colors.