According to Carr, "It is good for the development of young people to undergo some dress discipline, and only right for teachers to set pupils an appropriate example in this respect" (emphasis added) (p. 218).
There are some common sense rules that can be followed by middle school teachers in determining what will be perceived as "professional attire" by others, especially their students. For example, in his essay, "Transition to Teaching: Putting Your Best Foot Forward," Senne (2004) recommends conservative attire and jewelry for both male and female middle school teachers. According to this author, "Female teachers should choose to wear a conservative dress (appropriate length), blouse and skirt, or blouse and dress slacks. Male teachers may opt for a dress shirt, dress slacks, tie, and suit coat. Shoes should be consistent with selected attire" (p. 46). While these are the typical choices for professional attire, they certainly do not represent the entire range of appropriate dress for middle school classrooms. For example, Senne emphasizes as well that, "Grooming should be conservative as well. Teachers should also consider the impression that visible body piercing and tattoos may have" (p. 46).
Conclusion
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ensures that right of all American citizens to wear just about anything they damn well please in their private lives, but this part of the Bill of Rights becomes cloudier when middle school teachers step across the schoolhouse door. Even assuming that a middle school district does not subscribe to a formal dress code for its teachers, the research was consistent in showing that students who perceive their teachers to be attired professionally performed better academically and behaved better as well. Since these positive outcomes directly relate to virtually all middle school teachers' goals, it just makes good sense to use this simple but effective approach to delivering improved educational services in the middle school classroom today. The research also showed that it is not impossible for even the most fashion-impaired teacher to develop a sense of what types of dress are appropriate in the classroom and some common sense will go a long way in making these decisions. In the final analysis, the same concepts of professional attire that apply to other professions are just as important to the teaching field, and in some cases,...
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