It may sound ridiculous but what you wear can have as much of an impact on your classroom management as your lesson preparation and behaviour strategies.

We dress to impress in job interview so why not for out students, who, if we were translating this to the corporate world, would be our “clients”.

Teacher recruitment agencies advocate the ‘sensible approach’ to work wear, although as most teachers have experienced from glancing around the staff room in the morning, people’s ideas of ‘appropriate clothing’ can differ widely, just as schools do.

Back in 1915, there was a politician-inspired code of dress for female teachers in London, which demanded that they, "…may not dress in bright colours, you may, under no circumstances, dye your hair and you must wear at least two petticoats, and dresses must be no shorter than two inches above the ankles".

And while this dress code of 1915 seems scandalous nowadays, female teachers need to be especially careful with what they wear - cleavage, legs and g-string straps are not a good idea if you want to manage a class of testosterone-fuelled boys.

It is a safe bet to dress conservatively – shirt and tie for men and trousers or skirt for women. Women have more flexibility with what they can wear, much to their male colleagues frustration but as a general rule, women should avoid any clothing that is low-cut, low rise, too short or, see-through. (This may seem obvious but you can be surprised by what some teachers wear to work.)

And whilst it is tempting to try and be ‘trendy’ to relate better to your students, it is advisable to leave clothes that are too tight, too fashionable or anything in leather for the weekend.

“Teachers shouldn’t try too hard to be fashionable or different. Such teachers are not seen as cool – they are seen as weirdos who pose a problem and are an embarrassment,” advises Susan Heightman, co-ordinator for the Graduate Teacher Programme (Secondary) at London’s Brunel University.

Terrie Richmond, a history teacher in North West London is blunt in her assessment of appropriate wear for the classroom.

“If you owned a business you wouldn’t meet your potential clients wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which is unfortunately what some teachers wear to school,” says Terrie.

“Students are our clients and we need to look professional. If we don’t, why would the students think we are worth of our respect?”

TOP TIPS

1. Avoid low-cut tops, hipster-style pants, g-strings and short skirts.

2. Jeans, trainers and hats should be reserved for professional development days when the students aren’t in school.

3. Anything too ‘fashionable’ may prove a distraction.

4. Conservative doesn’t have to mean boring. You can infuse a bit of your own personality with accessories and jewellery.

5. Nothing too tight.

6. Comfortable clothes and shoes. Fussy clothing and shoes will only hinder your movement around the classroom.

7. Trying too hard to be ‘cool’ is embarrassing for you and your students

8. If you don’t feel comfortable with what you are wearing, there’s a good chance your students won’t either.

9. Make sure you are well covered, especially if you have tattoos or belly piercings.

10. Use your common sense when it comes to clothes.

Emily Webb