By Charmaine Lim, SBM Editor-in-Chief
Jaelynn Harbold
Senior Middle Level English Education Major
“I try to be very conservative since I want to teach middle school. For the first few weeks, I’ll probably wear heels because a lot of the boys are taller than me, so I think it’s important to show that I have dominance in the classroom.
I like to wear long necklaces and dangly earrings. It’s my favorite way to make an outfit either dressy or not. I also love good shoes. I’m pretty plain. I don’t try many new things.”
Andrew Walters
Senior Secondary Level Education Major
“I would say that my style is comfortable and breathable. I think the most important thing is being able to move around the classroom, so obviously I don’t want to be sweating. Usually, I wear lightweight things, especially during the warmer months. I try to always do long sleeves if I can, it just feels more professional.
Pants are pretty easy, even the ones that are colored. It’s easy to pair patterns with those solid colors.
Ankle to head, I try to keep it pretty professional. Clean cut, pressed and sharp. I feel like the way you present yourself is important, so you keep the students focused. But I feel like socks are the one area where I let my style slide a little bit. I try to be a little fun and creative with socks. They would be the one area I take a little more liberty.
I feel like I experiment a little bit with different colored pants, but then I would keep the shirt pretty plain. For shirts, I would experiment with patterns like checkered or simple patterns. I would wear print if it was very subtle.
I’m a huge sucker for thrift stores. I’m always subtly on the lookout for teacher clothes because obviously, it’s harder to find. You need to kind of pick and choose, but every once in awhile, you find a good one.”
Jessica Avallone
Senior Middle Level English Education Major & TESOL Minor
“I would say I’m bold. A lot of teachers wear cardigans, comfy pants and comfy shoes. I just don’t love that style as a teacher. I want to teach in middle school, so I don’t like anything too tight. I love wearing fun things on my arms, which can sometimes be a problem because then I can’t put jackets on. Then I’m always freezing in the classroom. My feet are usually cold because I like cute shoes.
My favorite part about wearing dresses and skirts is wearing tights, especially patterned tights. I also love wearing little scarves.
I do love skirts. That’s probably one of my favorites because you can have so many combinations, as opposed to a dress. I would probably say that I have the most skirts. You can really pop your outfit with a cute skirt, and they have to have pockets. It’s a go-to in my clothing.
I like to try different combinations and color patterns. It’s my favorite way to experiment with my style. I hate matching. I like it to coordinate.”
Drew Laird
Senior Middle Level Education Major w/ Concentration in Social Studies & Math
“I never put style above comfort, but I don’t just throw style away. I make sure that I look presentable in every situation. I wear cool socks occasionally. I have polar bear socks. The most elaborate one I have is a pug riding a skateboard in the city. Those are probably my favorites. Most of my socks are from Target. I have definitely experimented more recently [with style]. I don’t experiment a ton, I try to keep it pretty normal. Occasionally, I’ll go a little more blue. Lately I’ve been looking into more green. Those are some colors I don’t incorporate very well.”
This article can be found in the October issue of the Swinging Bridge Magazine.
