Yes, today is the day- it's time to deliver your resumes. While I am no fashion plate what you wear can help you to make that all-important first impression a good one. I'm not talking about wearing a designer suit, I'm talking about dressing to be the teacher that you want to be. If you are the sporty teacher who wants to referee football games on the side, then get out your sneakers. If you are the artistic, creative type- then dress to reflect that. Whatever you wear to deliver your resume, make sure you feel confident in it. You may be visiting a range of schools with wildly different (unofficial) dresscodes- and you need to feel appropriately dressed in each and every school. You also need to feel like YOU.
And so we come to the whole "Pink Supply Teacher" thing. Yes, it is rather literal. If you've met me you will know that. But how did it happen? When I first started teaching I cobbled together a working wardrobe from a mix of my old corporate clothes with a few new shirts thrown in. I needed the "office" clothes to feel confident and professional. As time went by I found that clothes that made me smile, and made me approachable were more important than anything corporate. Out came the brightly-coloured canvas shoes. Kids would bet what colour I'd wear on a given day. People remembered it, and when they did they smiled. My favorites were pink, they went with the pink hat I have for school... and the first day I overheard a Preppy reassure a new student with "That's Miss Pink, look for her if you need help."- well that was the day that I settled on wearing something pink each day. The kids remember me for it an seem to find it reassuring, it makes me smile (and that only helps me to have a better day), and now it's just part of who I am as a teacher. Practically speaking, it means a pair of shoes I can (and have) climb mountains in, pants (I can never get the hang of skirts for work) with lots of pockets to hold anything and everything I could need, and a bright tshirt that was cheap enough that I don't wince when I see painting on the day plan left for me. It works for me, and I hope you find something that works as well for you.
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