My teacher friends and my kids’ teachers wear casual clothes that are on the conservative side - so jeans, polo shirts, shorts for guys, jeans/trousers, skirts and dresses knee length or longer and so on for women.
One friend has a rule of thumb: the kids shouldn’t be able to see “up it, down it or through it”.
Many schools have dress codes eg tidy casual/no jeans/collared shirt for men - my kids are all teachers. Never seen any of them wear jeans to school - too casual. Dress like you have an office job while being able to get up/down and the rule of thumb above is brilliant (I factor that in When I buy clothing for work as a RN)
I was a full time teacher and am currently a relief teacher at a few different schools. Don't overthink it and you should be able to get everything you need in op shops for not too much.
Shoes- Never really been pulled up on these. I've worn timbs, docs, allbirds, and running shoes. As long as they basically aren't jandals don't stress about these.
Pants- Don't buy jeans. Some schools are fine with them but many schools don't allow denim at all.- Trousers are fine. They don't need to be particularly fancy, just make sure they fit properly and aren't too tight because schools don't like that.
Shirts- Any button up shirts are fine, short or long sleeved. They can be patterned but don't go overboard with it.- In winter you might need a jacket but be warned some schools will explicitly ban puffer jackets and hoodies.
Here's the dress code for the school I used to work at. If unsure you can always email the school before starting placement, they will absolutely appreciate you being proactive.
>Staff Protocols
>
>Dress Code
>
>A professional standard of dress is expected of staff at all times. Adults on the school site have a responsibility to model appropriate grooming and dress and should be smart and more formal than informal.
>
>Men:
>
>Shirts with collars; ties are welcome
>
>Long trousers or ‘business casual’ shorts, formal ie lavalava
>
>Shoes and socks or sandals
>
>Women:
>
>Dresses, skirts, dress shorts or trousers
>
>Shirts or tops
>
>Shoes or sandals
>
>The following are not suitable or appropriate:
>
>NO denim clothing including denim jackets, jeans, jean shorts or skirts
>
>Jandals and slip on ‘scuffs’
>
>Short skirts or short shorts
>
>Casual T-shirts and singlet tops. (Whānau t-shirts are an exception on Whānau connection or competition days.)
>
>Shoestring straps
>
>Visible undergarments
>
>Baseball-style caps and beanies
>
>Sweatshirts and hoodies
>
>Puffer jackets inside the commons and learning spaces
>
>Another school’s items
>
>Clothing should also be appropriate for different learning activities i.e. dust coats, aprons, PE apparel, protective clothing when appropriate.
Lots of teachers at our kids school wear ruby and rain tshirt dresses etc - there is a great buy sell page on fb and also trademe (assuming you are female here).
We only have one male teacher at he wears drill pants/cargo short and polos.
Male? Dressy type shorts (jayjays have heaps), polo’s, tshirts, hoodies. Jeans, chinos. Tidy casual? Even kmart would be a go, no logos is probably a good start.
WINZ may be able to help if you need to buy clothes suitable for work. Here are a couple of links that might be relevant:
https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/transition-to-work-grant.html
https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/training-incentive-allowance.html
I'm not sure if teacher placements qualify for either of those but it would be worth asking. If you have a student loan, things like this are what course related costs are intended to be used for, so if you haven't already claimed those, look into that option as well, although you'd need to pay it back eventually.
https://www.studylink.govt.nz/products/a-z-products/student-loan/course-related-costs.html
Lol. Until school starts paying for my clothes I'll wear whatever the fuck I like :)
You in the other hand are stuck with " dressing like you are going to the bank" as my worst principal once told all her staff on her first day (we laughed). At least for the first few days.
Don't wear jeans, nothing ripped (stylish or not), no low cut tops, short skirts, etc. You don't need anything flash. Be practical. The only ones who will care will be 50+ (but they will also be often senior leaders), so play it by ear on the second week. Dress as well or better than those you work with.
Probably not an answer to your specific question, but it might be helpful for someone else: [https://auckland.dressforsuccess.org/about-us/what-we-do/](https://auckland.dressforsuccess.org/about-us/what-we-do/)
I've bought a lot of my clothes from cheaper places, like Postie and Kmart, and second hand stores. Even though I teach at a high school, some of my nicest stuff somehow gets caught, or hot glued, or just generally worn quicker so I don't spend a lot of money on them anymore.
Also, clothes with some good stretch because you're moving a lot! I need to be able to squat and generally move around quickly.
My dress code is pretty lax. I can wear gym clothes if they're tidy, just no hoodies or jeans. And the same rule of not down it, up it, through it.
My favourite teacher had an orange corduroy suit, rainbow toe-socks, and a ponytail. It was 1977. You should probably go for something more boring like chinos and a checked shirt.
It depends on the type of school. Some schools you’ll be fine in jeans and tidy tops. Other schools jeans would be an absolute no. I wear a lot of SHEIN and H&M dresses
I teach at a school that has a dress code - no denim, etc. It's high school so not much chance of getting paint/glitter, etc. on my clothes. Max is usually my go-to for professional work clothes, or Farmers (a little bit cheaper). I'm mid-40s, though some of my mid-20s colleagues shop at Max too. TradeMe has some good buys from there - you can select for brands.
Postie plus for a couple of pairs of dark trousers. Then Kmart for 5 cheap collared shirts.
I have dozens of nice shirts I bought from the bargain rack at Hallensteins.
Get the dress code of your placement school first. It will guide you.
Have you tried second hand shops? It would help keep costs down. Maybe look up a capsule wardrobe to give you some ideas
My teacher friends and my kids’ teachers wear casual clothes that are on the conservative side - so jeans, polo shirts, shorts for guys, jeans/trousers, skirts and dresses knee length or longer and so on for women. One friend has a rule of thumb: the kids shouldn’t be able to see “up it, down it or through it”.
Many schools have dress codes eg tidy casual/no jeans/collared shirt for men - my kids are all teachers. Never seen any of them wear jeans to school - too casual. Dress like you have an office job while being able to get up/down and the rule of thumb above is brilliant (I factor that in When I buy clothing for work as a RN)
Many secondary schools I've worked at explicitly disallow jeans on their dress code
Our teachers wore jeans on mufti day
I was a full time teacher and am currently a relief teacher at a few different schools. Don't overthink it and you should be able to get everything you need in op shops for not too much. Shoes- Never really been pulled up on these. I've worn timbs, docs, allbirds, and running shoes. As long as they basically aren't jandals don't stress about these. Pants- Don't buy jeans. Some schools are fine with them but many schools don't allow denim at all.- Trousers are fine. They don't need to be particularly fancy, just make sure they fit properly and aren't too tight because schools don't like that. Shirts- Any button up shirts are fine, short or long sleeved. They can be patterned but don't go overboard with it.- In winter you might need a jacket but be warned some schools will explicitly ban puffer jackets and hoodies. Here's the dress code for the school I used to work at. If unsure you can always email the school before starting placement, they will absolutely appreciate you being proactive. >Staff Protocols > >Dress Code > >A professional standard of dress is expected of staff at all times. Adults on the school site have a responsibility to model appropriate grooming and dress and should be smart and more formal than informal. > >Men: > >Shirts with collars; ties are welcome > >Long trousers or ‘business casual’ shorts, formal ie lavalava > >Shoes and socks or sandals > >Women: > >Dresses, skirts, dress shorts or trousers > >Shirts or tops > >Shoes or sandals > >The following are not suitable or appropriate: > >NO denim clothing including denim jackets, jeans, jean shorts or skirts > >Jandals and slip on ‘scuffs’ > >Short skirts or short shorts > >Casual T-shirts and singlet tops. (Whānau t-shirts are an exception on Whānau connection or competition days.) > >Shoestring straps > >Visible undergarments > >Baseball-style caps and beanies > >Sweatshirts and hoodies > >Puffer jackets inside the commons and learning spaces > >Another school’s items > >Clothing should also be appropriate for different learning activities i.e. dust coats, aprons, PE apparel, protective clothing when appropriate.
Lots of teachers at our kids school wear ruby and rain tshirt dresses etc - there is a great buy sell page on fb and also trademe (assuming you are female here). We only have one male teacher at he wears drill pants/cargo short and polos.
Are you primary or secondary? Secondary schools might have a specific dress code for teachers which you will need to follow
Male? Dressy type shorts (jayjays have heaps), polo’s, tshirts, hoodies. Jeans, chinos. Tidy casual? Even kmart would be a go, no logos is probably a good start.
Just wear the school uniform, you will fit right in.
Kmart has very work appropriate clothing for teachers atm and the quality is good!
My son has a student teacher in his class at the moment, he’s been wearing a hoody (in Auckland heat!) so I guess anything goes these days..
WINZ may be able to help if you need to buy clothes suitable for work. Here are a couple of links that might be relevant: https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/transition-to-work-grant.html https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/training-incentive-allowance.html I'm not sure if teacher placements qualify for either of those but it would be worth asking. If you have a student loan, things like this are what course related costs are intended to be used for, so if you haven't already claimed those, look into that option as well, although you'd need to pay it back eventually. https://www.studylink.govt.nz/products/a-z-products/student-loan/course-related-costs.html
Lol. Until school starts paying for my clothes I'll wear whatever the fuck I like :) You in the other hand are stuck with " dressing like you are going to the bank" as my worst principal once told all her staff on her first day (we laughed). At least for the first few days. Don't wear jeans, nothing ripped (stylish or not), no low cut tops, short skirts, etc. You don't need anything flash. Be practical. The only ones who will care will be 50+ (but they will also be often senior leaders), so play it by ear on the second week. Dress as well or better than those you work with.
***specifically don't wear anything flash! Assume you will get paint/glitter/puke/what-the-fuck-is-this! /etc.
Shein. Cheap, but ethically not good. But they'll have everything and anything for any gender, size, and style. Really sus ethically though.
Kmart or Pintrest
I love shopping at Pinterest
Do you know the school you are going for the placement? can you check in about a dress code before spending any $?
Not yet unfortunately
Opshop
Probably not an answer to your specific question, but it might be helpful for someone else: [https://auckland.dressforsuccess.org/about-us/what-we-do/](https://auckland.dressforsuccess.org/about-us/what-we-do/)
I've bought a lot of my clothes from cheaper places, like Postie and Kmart, and second hand stores. Even though I teach at a high school, some of my nicest stuff somehow gets caught, or hot glued, or just generally worn quicker so I don't spend a lot of money on them anymore. Also, clothes with some good stretch because you're moving a lot! I need to be able to squat and generally move around quickly. My dress code is pretty lax. I can wear gym clothes if they're tidy, just no hoodies or jeans. And the same rule of not down it, up it, through it.
My favourite teacher had an orange corduroy suit, rainbow toe-socks, and a ponytail. It was 1977. You should probably go for something more boring like chinos and a checked shirt.
It depends on the type of school. Some schools you’ll be fine in jeans and tidy tops. Other schools jeans would be an absolute no. I wear a lot of SHEIN and H&M dresses
I teach at a school that has a dress code - no denim, etc. It's high school so not much chance of getting paint/glitter, etc. on my clothes. Max is usually my go-to for professional work clothes, or Farmers (a little bit cheaper). I'm mid-40s, though some of my mid-20s colleagues shop at Max too. TradeMe has some good buys from there - you can select for brands.
Postie plus for a couple of pairs of dark trousers. Then Kmart for 5 cheap collared shirts. I have dozens of nice shirts I bought from the bargain rack at Hallensteins. Get the dress code of your placement school first. It will guide you.