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Lesson Plans


Student Teachers' looks

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
Elizabeth Paul (epaul)
Mon, 03 Feb 1997 20:16:47 -0600

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Blesila,
I have agreed with everyone's advice about letting a student teacher know
tactfully about professional dress standards and issues of smoke smells or
related things. However, I think it would be inappropriate to comment on
make-up and hair styling. If the make-up worn is excessive to the point of
being distracting from substance or if her/his hair is unkempt, that's one
thing but otherwise I'd urge leaving it alone. How attractive she decides
to make herself is up to her and her judgment. Let her own friends give her
advice of that nature. If you end up being confidantes, that's one thing but
a basic professional and/or mentoring relationship doesn't call for it in my
view.

I try to look at it from what advice I would or wouldn't want. In the past
I've appreciated advice from mentors or bosses about professional issues
(what constitutes basic professional dress and behavior in a given
environment, how to raise issues in meetings, etc), but when it gets into
areas of personal taste, I've found it overstepping the bounds. (And I did
have a boss tell me she didn't like my hairstyle; all it did was annoy me.)
It's a fine line on some issues but make-up (or lack of it) and hairstyling
fall on the personal choice side in my view, except in extreme cases.

Your student teacher is lucky to have someone as involved and concerned as
you! Best wishes,
Elizabeth

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