Why Should Teachers Wear Professional Attire?

I remember hearing long ago that people should dress for the job they want rather than the job they have. I'm a teacher, and I actually have the job I want. But there's something to the idea of dressing professionally even in the trenches.

Whenever teacher pay raises are discussed in my state, I hear comments that relegate teaching to something less than a profession. You know the ones I mean: "You have summers off. You have spring break and midwinter break. Teachers only work half the year anyway."

If we want to be treated as professionals, we must act and dress professionally. Have you noticed the difference in your students' behavior when you dress for class? I don't have any formal studies to support this idea, but student behavior improves when I'm dressed professionally, I think.

Many of my students' parents are professionals, and I think that's another reason to wear professional attire. If I'm dressed well for a parent teacher conference, I'm not intimidated by Mr. Bigshot Helicopter Dad. That may be because he has subconciously evaluated my professional appearance and is treating me as a professional, or it may be because I'm more confident.

At any rate, I think there are lots of reasons to dress professionally for class. Try it, and let me know what you think.