In an increasingly diverse nation where what we wear is paramount with self-expression, many schools are taking actions on teacher dress codes. Teachers at the school do not have a strict dress code but are influenced by their job and know they have to dress appropriately for their job.

English teacher Melissa Covington said that there is not a specific dress code, but she knows that it is expected for her to wear what is suitable for school.

“We’re supposed to dress professionally,” Covington said. “It’s very vague, but we have an idea of what we should wear.”

And although teachers do not have to dress completely formal, Covington said that the way teachers dress can be an example to students and affect how students view teachers.

“It’s like the saying ‘dress for the job you want, not the one you have,’” Covington said. “If someone comes to work dressed sloppy they won’t be taken seriously, but if they dress for a higher job, like a manager, they’ll be respected.”

Covington says that as students get into the professional world they will experience having to dress a certain way and that teachers have to do the same thing too. According to educationworld.com, other school districts are instituting stricter dress codes more specific to just “dress professionally.” And says that the term “professional” can mean different things to different people.

“There is business casual and business formal,” Covington said. “They might sound similar but they’re very different.”

However, Covington says that though teacher dress code is vague, teachers know what to wear to effectively teach a class and have students maintain concentration.

“We’re public school teachers,” Covington said. “What we wear affects how we are perceived and taken.”