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New teachers thinking of coming to Poland
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 9:00 am    Post subject: personally... Reply with quote

As a parent, I personally don't care what my son's teachers wear as long as they are clean and the personal grooming side is 'in step'. If a teacher has piercings or tats, it is really no concern of mine. If he wears t-shirts or shirts, it is really not an issue for me. For me, the teachers skill set and my son's welfare are key.

However, companies have an image as do schools and this is where teachers need to fit in. Dress code is part of that conundrum.

In EFL the dodgier places generally have the more stringent dress requirements in my experience.
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 10:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

NilSatis82 wrote:
Well, it's clear that you think the way you present yourself at work is irrelevant, however, most people (including parents) would disagree.


Parents couldn't care less. A quick look online at public schools shows this - jeans are commonplace, as are winter boots and other clothes that would be an absolute no-no in a formal environment.

Even the international schools here aren't particularly worried about the dress of teachers. The only school that I know that cares is one run by a chap who doesn't even have a degree from a public university - unsurprisingly, the school is all about image and has rather poor results.

dragonpiwo wrote:
As a parent, I personally don't care what my son's teachers wear as long as they are clean and the personal grooming side is 'in step'. If a teacher has piercings or tats, it is really no concern of mine. If he wears t-shirts or shirts, it is really not an issue for me. For me, the teachers skill set and my son's welfare are key.


That's pretty much our attitude. While no-one cares about a Nirvana t-shirt or winter boots, the welfare of the kids comes first. A common problem is when the parents send someone to pick up a child without prior agreement - in that case, we simply don't release the child, even if the parents phone up. They get angry - but there's absolutely no way that we would let a child go with a stranger who arrives unannounced. A phone call isn't enough.

I think the most sensible advice as a teacher is to dress to the clients, like dynow says above. Going into a lawyer's office with a Nirvana t-shirt would be a huge no-no, but wearing a suit to a class of 6 year olds is also a no-no.

dragonpiwo wrote:
In EFL the dodgier places generally have the more stringent dress requirements in my experience.


Yep, noticed that too. I wonder why?
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MuscatGary



Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...

PostPosted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 11:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

delphian-domine[quote="dragonpiwo wrote:
In EFL the dodgier places generally have the more stringent dress requirements in my experience.


Yep, noticed that too. I wonder why?[/quote]

In England we call it 'all fur coat and no knickers!'
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wojbrian



Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Posts: 178

PostPosted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I usually wore business casual, Khakis and a collard shirt.

If It was a bit less formal I would wear jeans and a collard shirt.

I taught at the 3rd largest company in Poland and it wasn't necessary.

I think respect comes more from how you carry your self then what you wear.

However, You can't look like a slob!
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

regardless of what your school's dress code might be, you should know how to dress. even if your students don't care or your boss doesn't care, somebody is going to care and that person might be the one you impress one day and that offers you a better job. always look good, you never know who's watching.
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NilSatis82



Joined: 03 May 2009
Posts: 110

PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

delphian-domine wrote:
NilSatis82 wrote:
Well, it's clear that you think the way you present yourself at work is irrelevant, however, most people (including parents) would disagree.

Parents couldn't care less.

Seriously? So, if a teacher came to work wearing shorts, a Hawaiian shirt and sandals, parents wouldn't bat an eyelid?

Personally, if I were parent and one of my child's teachers looked into their wardrobe in the morning and decided 'Hey, I think I'll wear a Nirvana t-shirt to work today', I'd probably start to wonder if they took their job seriously or not.
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 10:00 am    Post subject: erm Reply with quote

Speaking as the father of a kid who is at school in Poland I can tell you categorically that if my son's results are good and his welfare is being taken care of and he is happy, then I couldn't care less about his teachers' attire. I'm all for individuals expressing themselves and I personally don't judge books by their covers. TEFL teachers the world over can be a bit scruffy.

The instructors in my son's Muay Thai classes look like hooligans but they are great and my son loves the whole gig, so I'm happy. I take the same approach with his regular class teachers.
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oipivo



Joined: 02 Jan 2012
Posts: 163
Location: Poland

PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 8:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a beard, long hair, and tattoos and it hasn't been a big deal thus far. If I'm doing in company courses I always wear a collared shirt and at least nice jeans (depending on the company). The school I worked at was never too concerned about what I wore and nearly always had my tattoos visible. Granted, I don't have a flaming dick or a portrait of Hitler.

Like others have said, scruffy is ok so long as you're well groomed and look presentable.
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

MuscatGary wrote:


In England we call it 'all fur coat and no knickers!'


of course you do. ha! of course you do.
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NilSatis82



Joined: 03 May 2009
Posts: 110

PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

oipivo wrote:
Like others have said, scruffy is ok so long as you're well groomed and look presentable.

Isn't that a bit of an oxymoron?
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NilSatis82 wrote:
Seriously? So, if a teacher came to work wearing shorts, a Hawaiian shirt and sandals, parents wouldn't bat an eyelid?


Not in most schools. The only schools that seem to care about such things are those dreadful private schools that are image rather than results orientated. Most parents demand high results from teachers - appearance doesn't come into it.

A friend works in a very, very, very good "social" school. They have fantastic results, the school is very well equipped and well run - and she goes to school with a very heavy "goth" appearance. No-one cares. Her director demands a lot from her in terms of achievement, but not in clothes.

Quote:
Personally, if I were parent and one of my child's teachers looked into their wardrobe in the morning and decided 'Hey, I think I'll wear a Nirvana t-shirt to work today', I'd probably start to wonder if they took their job seriously or not.


This is the thing about Poles - most of them don't look at clothes in the same way that a Brit or American might look at them. Maybe it's a hangover from Communism, when someone wearing a suit would be seen as a manager of sorts and therefore automatically a Party man.

To give an example - I had to cover for one of my colleagues that was sick. She gave me the programme, and between me and the kids, we more or less figured out what they were supposed to learn that day. But part of the programme involved going to the garden - how could I get seriously stuck into gardening if I was wearing nice clothes? It just wouldn't make sense.
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MuscatGary



Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...

PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dynow wrote:
MuscatGary wrote:


In England we call it 'all fur coat and no knickers!'


of course you do. ha! of course you do.


? I don't catch your drift.
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't mean anything bad by it, I'm just always entertained by those British sayings Cool
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Master Shake



Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

delphian-domine wrote:
This is the thing about Poles - most of them don't look at clothes in the same way that a Brit or American might look at them. Maybe it's a hangover from Communism, when someone wearing a suit would be seen as a manager of sorts and therefore automatically a Party man.

To give an example - I had to cover for one of my colleagues that was sick. She gave me the programme, and between me and the kids, we more or less figured out what they were supposed to learn that day. But part of the programme involved going to the garden - how could I get seriously stuck into gardening if I was wearing nice clothes? It just wouldn't make sense.
Poles are much more image conscious about clothes than Americans.

In mid-west America, everybody wears what they like, whether it's a dress, muumuu or suit. Jeans, t-shirts and sneakers are normal, even for going to a nice restaurant. Not so in Poland.

Asia is even more image conscious than Poland. It really is a bummer because it's so hot and humid here, yet nobody wants to wear shorts because they're seen as too informal. So here comes the Shake to educate. Wink
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wojbrian



Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Posts: 178

PostPosted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 11:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the women are more image conscious and the men for the most part are not.

I do think that the younger generation of men there are starting to clean up a bit.

The first time I was there you never saw a woman dressed in sweats or workout cloths when going out unless they were going to the gym.
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