The Substitute Teacher Dress Code

Your first few times as a substitute teacher can be nerve racking and scary. One of the many worries that may be on your mind is how you should dress for the job. The fact is every school district has a different dress code. In some schools you may find teachers in blue jeans while in another school they all wear skirts or slacks to work. If you are not sure what to wear, here are a few tips!

Professional: If you have no idea what the dress code is, dress professionally. Do not wear blue jeans on your first day. This does not mean that you need to wear a dress, skirt, or anything fancy. A nice pair of black or khaki pants matched with a nice button down or polo shirt will do. This will avoid the awkward situation of being the only school employee wearing blue jeans.

Avoid Low Cut: No matter what everyone else is wearing, make sure that you wear a shirt that is not too low cut or revealing. When working with children you may spend a lot of time leaning over their desks to help them with work. Low cut shirts are not appropriate.

Comfortable: As a substitute teacher you will spend a lot of time standing, sitting, and leaning over to get on the children's level. Wear clothes that are comfortable. Do not wear pants that are too snug and hard to bend down in. Make sure that you can sit in a chair without a huge gap forming between the bottom of your shirt and the top of your pants. Wear something that makes you feel confident and you will have an easier day. You don't want to feel self conscious all day when you should be worrying about your 20 or so students.

Shoes: Being comfortable is especially true for shoes. You will be amazed at how much time you actually spend on your feet all day. The wrong pair of shoes can leave your feet in pain. Do not try to break in a new pair of shoes when substituting and wear shoes that you know will get you through the day.

Casual Friday: Never assume that a school has Casual Friday until you have actually been there for a Friday. Dress as you would the other four days of the week. It is better to be the only one in slacks, than to be the only one in jeans and a t-shirt.

Jacket: Always, always, always bring a jacket. It does not matter if it is 100 degrees outside, that does not mean it will be 100 degrees inside. Think about your own childhood in school. Where you sometimes freezing inside during the summer, and too warm inside during the winter? Things haven't changed. The temperature inside school buildings varies and even in the heat of the summer you may find that the classroom feels like you are in Antarctica. Carry a jacket to ensure that you are comfortable. Once you get into that classroom, you are there for the day. You don't want to be cold from 8 am until the final bell rings.

Once you teach in the same school a few times, it won't take long to figure things out. Every school is different, every teacher is different, and every dress code is different. Follow these tips for your first few times in a school and pay attention to what everyone else is wearing.