Why You Shouldn't Dress for the Job You Want

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"Dress for the job you want, not the job you have"    -unknown

I despise the above saying.

I have no idea where the saying comes from or why it has been pumped through our minds as the "right" way to go about dressing in the workplace. What I do know is that this message is completely ignorant of many jobs like those found in the classroom.

The sentiment of the saying encourages appropriate dress, I get it. However, it praises and calls for an individual to dress as their dream counterpart. I don't think jet-setting millionaire's wear attire that is machine washable. Really - you never know when a fourth grader is going to vomit chicken nuggets on you while simultaneously asking to go to the bathroom. I mean, can Louboutin's be wiped clean??

I digress.

In the classroom you have to be prepared for many things to happen. You are working with children who come from various backgrounds, are developing social skills, and trying to understand their own bodies (like sensing when one is about to vom). While adults may act like children in the workplace, you can still make basic assumptions regarding their behavior and/or prior knowledge. With children - all bets are off.

So throughout this blog, I will be starting a series of posts about classroom attire. For me I consider it workplace attire, however in the blog world the term 'workplace' is narrowed down to office settings. These outfits will be appropriate for school settings without sacrificing personal style.

As we end today's post, I'd like to change our original saying to one that reflects teaching in the classroom:

"Dress for the job you have...just in case someone vomits chicken nuggets."

Does that saying apply to your workplace? Do you follow that "rule"? Let me know in the comments below...

(p.s. comments about children vomiting receive extra credit and a gold star!)