How should a teacher dress for English classes in Madrid, Spain?

Dressing appropriately for your English class is very important for a teacher in Madrid, Spain. Spanish people generally dress quite elegantly and you will be judged by your appearance. If you dress scruffily for your class, then don't be surprised if your students view this as a reflection of your professionalism.

However, you shouldn't dress the same for all types of classes. Let's have a look at the different expected dress codes for different types of English classes in Madrid.

If you are teaching children or teenagers, then within reason, anything goes. Jeans , T-shirt, whatever. You don't want to frighten the children by appearing for class in a suit and tie, do you? But don't go too far. A relaxed, clean image is important for these classes.

If you are teaching to the general public in a school or academy, then your boss will not be too happy with the jeans and T-shirt appearance. Also, your students will be from all walks of life, so its better to go for the smart-casual look here. Absolutely no sports shoes, shorts, T-shirts or jeans. Shoes, trousers, skirt and a shirt will be appropriate.

For teaching classes in companies, to give the right impression, dress smart-casual as described above. Companies don't like badly dressed teachers wandering around the building. It's bad for their image too! And yes, I do know of a school who lost a contract because they didn't impose an appropriate dress code on their teachers.

Should a teacher ever dress for business? By that I mean a suit and tie for men and a business suit for women. Yes, if your student is a top executive. These people expect you to dress like them. You are moving at a different level and you should dress appropriately. If you don't dress up, they may not respect you as a teacher.

So what do you do if you have a class with an executive in the morning, followed by a class with children? Always dress up rather than dress down. You can take a suit and tie off if you have to. But you can't put them on if you don't have them!

You may react to this article by saying, "What a load of rubbish! Students just want a good teacher." And you're right. It doesn't matter how you dress if you are a bad teacher, students will complain anyway. But, for a good teacher, appropriate dress code can be a big help in breaking the ice quickly or getting the respect or attention of your students.