Job Discussion Forums

svrart · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 2:07 am Post subject: Teaching dress code

Ni hao,

Simple quesion. What is the dress code to teach in a middle school in China in the Shandong province? Jeans + T-shirts OK? Collared T-shirts + non-jeans pants? Suits?

Xie Xie,
Sridhar

ESL Guru · Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 462

Generally speaking jeans, sandals and tennis shoes represent poverty in China. They are considered low class.

There are exceptions in some places.

A couple of months ago I had my uni students watch an English TV program on CTTV 9 which was airing a major French fashion show. Jeans were the main item of current fashion that were prominently featured.

The next day I wore jeans with tennis shoes, a blue dress shirt and sports jacket but no tie. I explained that this was the fashion in the US whitehouse during the Clinton Presidency

Today jeans are the rage at my uni.

Teach them and they will learn!

Kurochan · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 944 Location: China

If I were you, I'd start out formal, and move to being more casual over time, if you think you can get away with it.

There's no way to know how old you are from your post, but especially if you are young, it really pays to dress formally on the first day. That helps to give the students the impression "This guy is a real teacher! This will be a REAL class!" The kids you have are young, and will probably want to be rowdy. Seeing a guy in a tie will tell them they ought to settle down. Also, if their last foreign teacher was some guy who didn't take teaching seriously and just had them play games in each class, your appearance and manner on the first day will go a long way toward letting the students know your class won't be like that.

As things go on, if the students are manageable and respect you, you can let your attire and class manner get more casual. But, I'd never wear jeans. Khakis and a white shirt would be better.

One of the only times I dressed way down when I had class at my university, some janitor came in and yelled at me for standing up and talking at the lectern, where I was introducing a video. He asked why the teacher wasn't in the room, and told me to sit down and wait quietly for the teacher to come!

ESL Guru · Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 462

Dear K -

That is very funny. You must look very young.

Someone came into my class and told me to teach sitting down because I am so old.

sillyboy · Joined: 14 Jun 2003 Posts: 12

Does your school have any air-con or ceiling fans? If not, dressing formally will be a killer in the late Summer heat when the next term starts. The school where i "work" has no problem with casual attire. Most of the local teachers dress casually, and in the Summer it is the only way to dress.

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

I am indeed required to wear clothing while teaching. Very Happy

Furthermore, this clothing must leave something to the imagination. However, the exact nature of the clothing is up to me.

One day, early in the morning I went for a run (t shirt + track pants and heavily used running shoes from the Clinton era.) When I got back from a hot + sweaty run, I realized that I had locked myself out of my apartnemt. The FAO had another key, but no one would be there until after I had to be at class.

So I went. It was an "oral" class that I had prepared for, so I just swiped a book from a student when I got there. No one even noticed, to say nothing of comment on it.

The Chinese teacher (male) wear slacks, maybe shoes, but then t shirts. 3 Piece Armani and power tie or clown suit, I'm a foreigner.

PS I've always had a bit of a Jack Nickelson inspired beef with female teacher dress codes (more while in Japan). "They let you in in a house dress, but I've got to wear a suit and tie." The foreign DOSs (almost all male) had enough intelligence to notice if someone was wearing a suit and tie or not. But they had a bit of trouble with that wonderful realm of female business attire. Some women confidently did get away with comfortable looking house dresses (and one woman I know who had a job in a London stock exchange was told that her footwear "inappropriate") Evil or Very Mad

No fair. If I have to wear a dark suit and tie in 40 degree/90% humidity weather, then everyone should suffer too. Twisted Evil

It is furthermore my personal obersvation that the degree of actual professionalism involved in an EFL job is inversely proportionate to the strcitness of the dress code.

I consider not needing to wear a suit one of my greatest professional perks. I had several profs (PhD tenured folk who put out book lenght publications) come to my classes in jeans - every class - back when I was in uni.

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

The only thing I would say is...no shorts and sandals. This doesn't mean there aren't "backpackers" out there who dress like that for class, but the truth is it leaves a terrible impression, though the Chinese might say nothing.

The Chinese teachers would be punished badly for such an infraction.

Good, clean jeans seem very acceptably, (pardon my Chinglish there). T-shirts more borderline. Again, they would say nothing to you directly. But "cool" t-shirts with cool slogans/pictures, etc. are for students, not teachers, though I occasionally wear such t-shirts, especially for teaching something. Chinese teachers would be punished.

Thankfully no need for ties. Sneakers are somewhat a no-no, but I often wear them, especiallya sfor a while I could not find shoes that fit. Again, if you wore sneakers, they would never say anything to your face.

Definitely first impressions count. Wear the better clothes first, and then dress down is good advice

wOZfromOZ · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 272 Location: Shanghai

I wear shorts - 120Y/m Aussie Wool - made by the tailor + 30Y ......
- smart enough and very comfortable on these hot days!!!

I'm a bit like the guru - dont mind setting the pace .......Is that being obnoxious Chog - thanks for that! - sort of comment that makes me think of your type on a hot road on a summers's day!!! LOL
Whooops! Very Happy

wOZfromOZ

sillyboy · Joined: 14 Jun 2003 Posts: 12

I would agree with sunaru... ask your employer. My school has no problems with sandals or shorts, mainly because in the summer it is so,so,so hot. The Chinese teachers can dress like this, and they do not get punished. The quality of teaching is far more important than the clothes worn (within reason).

oyanlan · Joined: 25 Mar 2003 Posts: 12 Location: Shandong

I teach in a small city in Shandong and we all wear what we want including the Chinese teachers. The male teachers generally dont wear shorts in class though but thats more a matter of personal choice rather than dress code I reckon.

Douglas · Joined: 10 Jun 2003 Posts: 10 Location: China

When a company as big as ENGLISH FIRST writes via email a threat what are the best ways to handle this matter. Who should I contact for help within Ef. to date nothing has been solved and emails unanswered.
I am so amazed that as to how they have addressed this and only feel that this is something that all teachers should be made aware of prior to workin at EF

stevey · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 142

i hear ya douglas...i can sense your frustration from your posts and im kind of pissed off for you! man..i would be livid if it happend to me. did u even speak to that jeffrey guy after he sent u the threat?

Ricepaddy · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 219

I usually try to be as formal as possible (smart trousers, dress shoes, white shirt), but the last few days I've been turning up in shades, shorts, sandals and a football jersey. It's just too damn hot! No bad reaction from the school (some of the other teachers are similarly attired), and the football jersey was actually a good topic of conversation (as were my legs, for some reason). But I've been at schools where that would not be acceptable, so like others have said, test the water first before you dress down...