"Dress how you want to be addressed." - Bianca Frazier
It's Tie Tuesday! And in honor of this sacred, weekly holiday for about a dozen of us in Housing on campus, I have decided to ruminate (or at least comment - do not usually get the chance to have the word "ruminate" come to mind, though) on what I wear to work each day as a Hall Director.
The standard outfit here is a polo and khaki pants, or a nice blouse with a skirt or pants. I have two pairs of khakis, and they are each worn at least twice a week. I rotate through my polo shirts, wearing one every day, except for Tie Tuesday, of course! I try to wear school colors using my polos when I can, showing my school spirit. On Fridays, we are allowed to wear jeans, although it is honestly a little hot in August to walk around in jeans, so sometimes I stick to the lighter khaki material. Casual Friday is fun, but sweating on a two-minute walk to the Union is not.
As far as I can see, not wearing a suit and tie - or at least a shirt and tie - is somewhat of a trend for educators who constantly and consistently interact with students. When I was a substitute teacher in high schools, I started out wearing a shirt and tie every day. I would usually try to match the colors of the school at which I was subbing, because in my mind the students appreciated that (some of them probably did not even notice my name on the board, but oh well). However, I began noticing that I was one of maybe a dozen teachers dressed as formally. The principals and other administrators wore business casual, but most were in polo shirts or a nice skirt and blouse. So I eventually switched to wearing a polo shirt and slacks every day.
When it came to shopping for some nicer clothing for my new position, my father told me to just invest in khakis and polo shirts, and he was correct in making that suggestion. It sums up what I always saw housing officers wear as a student. I have yet to do any research on the topic, but if I were to guess, both the housing officers and the high school teachers dress this way to connect better with students. If I were to sit in my office - in a residence hall - in a suit and tie each day, I think students would not find me as approachable (no matter how often they listen to Justin Timberlake). I would probably come off as stuck up in conduct hearings, and I myself would not be as relaxed or comfortable when having to respond to a crisis. So I currently believe that less formality is more when it comes to being a housing officer working in the residence halls.
There is still something nice about Tie Tuesday, though. It enables me to wear the ties I own, and in school colors if possible. Also, people notice when I wear the tie, because it is not an everyday thing - points for self-esteem! And, even with all of the fun we have working in Student Affairs (I did a lot of crafting yesterday with residents, for example), I think it is a subtle reminder that this is a true profession, just with its own form of professional attire.
Quote Citation: Frazier, B. (n.d.). Goodreads.com. Retrieved from: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/759451-dress-how-you-want-to-be-addressed.
Photo By: Me - yes, penguins are always dressed formally :)
No comments:
Post a Comment