Wardrobe Made for Work
Posted by Jen Bragg on 04 Nov 2009 | Posted in: Inspiration and Motivation, Teachers and Teaching
Ever have a day when you just have to laugh at yourself? I have many. Just the other day I had a moment to reflect on my outfit, and I had to chuckle. It was an unusually chilly day outside, so I was wearing pants and a sweater. But, since I was also chilly inside (I’m cold-natured; what can I say?), I had a blue fleece blanket wrapped around me like a bath towel and thick socks pulled over my shoes. (You read that correctly: over my shoes.) I was a sight, I’m sure, but that day my extra layers were a necessity. I needed to stay warm in order to get my work done!
As a teacher, I’m sure there are days—and even several times during a single day—when your typical teacher attire just won’t do. My last school supplied me with a first aid kit in the form of a hot pink and lime green fanny pack. I always had it with me on the playground and, while it never matched what I was wearing, it was certainly a convenient little container for those much-needed supplies! I also recall teacher friends who wore carpenter aprons filled with tissues, spare pencils, and behavior tickets and others who donned fuzzy bunny slippers after school to soothe their aching feet.
What about you? What funny fashions have you found that make your job a little bit easier?
9 Comments |
Subscribe
|
Email This
At one school we were the panthers and at Christmas time we found huge black slippers in panthers. Teachers wore them in the classroom and occasionally forgot they were on when they ventured into the hall.
I too have vests and socks for the holidays as well as carpenter aprons and fleece coats for all holidays and seasons. I am a special ed preschool teacher and the kids just love my holiday attire. The rest of the teachers (who are way younger than me) just think I am an idiot but that is ok. I love my holiday stuff!
I also have a class supply of fire hats when we sing the Fire Truck song, sunglasses for when we sing “Mr. Sun”, spider rings for “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, and a pizza hat for when we sing “I Am A Pizza”. Like I said, the others think I am nuts but the kids always request those song where they can wear something. We do have FUN!
Our group of Kindergarten teachers have special t-shirts for each holiday and one for the 100th day of school. The other teachers in the building love to read our shirts.
I wore a fanny pack for outside recess with a first-aid kit in it too! My idea, and the other teachers soon adopted it because it worked so well.
At one preschool, everyone (teachers included) left shoes at the door and wore slippers around inside. We each brought our own. Mine were lime green knitted with beaded cherries on the top. I also made a point to wear socks with fun patterns on them. I still do that for the kids’ dance class I teach. Kids always notice things like that!
My favorite day is when we have “Pajama Day” - I love wearing my comfy PJs to school. If I need to run errands before or afterwards, though, I usually pull something on over my Cookie Monster or Kermit the Frog PJs to avoid all those looks!
We had a red ribbon week recently to promote a drug-free life, and one of the days we had to wear crazy socks. Well, I looked a sight in my normal outfit, accompanied by mismatched socks (one X’s and O’s valentine socks, the other decorated with monkeys and bananas!) and a pair of bright yellow Crocs. The kids loved it, but I think the other customers at the Chinese restaurant where I bought take-out just thought I was a crazy hobo!!
When we learn about firefighters, we make fireman hats and wear those…including out to the buses! I get many a strange look on those days!
We just finished a paper mache/painting project, and I’m sure my whole class looked silly, but smocks and rolled sleeves are a necessity on messy days! I’ve never thought about wearing an apron as a permanent wardrobe addition, but it’s something to consider…
And whenever I stay in a nice hotel, I take the complimentary slippers to school and wear those around the room–I move too much to stay in heels all day long!
yes kids do love things that stand out there and boy do they notice everything!!!!!!
sunglasses that work as a headband on those days I can’t find a holder
overalls decorated for the seasons
vests for the seasons
printed socks with everything
I once had a pair of pink glitter shoes- think Dorothy- that made my kids tell me how beautiful I was no matter how bad of a day I had- so if you want a compliment in kindergarten- wear glitter!