A Colorful Glimpse Into the Soul -- Kyle

How can I reconcile the sheer number of possibilities? How much fun can I have trying to mix and match the limitless options? How many of my students will think I’m crazy because of my choices? These are just a few of the questions that plague my mind every morning when I start to plan out my day. But am I talking about all the instructional decisions I have to make over the course of a day? Don’t be silly! I am, of course, speaking of deciding what to wear to school everyday.

Each day I wake up, confront my wardrobe, and coolly pick out an outfit, which will invariably be described as some member of the animal kingdom as soon as I walk into my room. “Mr. Minner, you look like a turtle today.” (Green shirt, orange tie) “Today you look like a dolphin!” (Light blue shirt, periwinkle tie) “Hey, you look like a blue jay. But a brown one. Yeah, you look like a brown blue jay!” (Gray shirt with multicolored stripes, blue tie, and a brown sports coat). And you know what? I love it! I revel in trying to be as flamboyant and colorful as possible every day without seeming like a crazy person. It brightens up my day when I feel like I’m having fun just because I’m wearing fun clothes. Even if my day is on the brink of disaster, I simply have to look down, admire the unique choice I made, and smile.

Having an interesting wardrobe has more benefits than you might think. Not only does it ensure that I enjoy at least a small part of every day, my students are able to see a part of my personality. They are able to know me as a person, not just as their teacher; so far, this has resulted in increased motivation, a safer classroom environment, and an overall sense of jollity and enjoyment in my room. Having a personality and, most importantly, showing it to my students makes me a real person—a real person who they like. And from my experience thus far, if students like you, they are much more likely to work for you. They are much more likely to enjoy being in your classroom. Most of all, they are much more likely to learn from you because they want to pay attention.

Of course, I do not believe that everyone should suddenly start wearing neon green and bright pink (now there’s an idea…), but I do believe that your wardrobe should mirror your personality. If you can give your students just a small glimpse of yourself, your time in the classroom will be much more enjoyable—especially if you go out and get a brand new seersucker sports coat.