7/21 Class Reflection - Nifoussi

I enjoyed hearing the clothing debate during Thursday's class. At first glance to the Do Now prompt I thought back to my time at an alternative middle school in which all clothing was subject to removal, tightening, or covering. Students were not allowed to sag, girls were not allowed to show any cleavage, open-toed shoes were banned, hats were banned, and the list goes on. Granted, this particular situation might be a bit extreme as compared to your typical public high school, but I think that by setting and then enforcing such strict rules, we were sending the message that school is not about the fashion. True, we don't want to deny students the opportunity to share their 'flavor' or fashionable attire, however, we also did not want to equate our learning environment with getting dressed to go out on a Saturday night. Our major concern was that students could/would hide items such as weapons, lighters, cell-phones, and other contraband into their clothing that was simply not tolerated within our building. Parents/family and all of the students were told explicitly of the rules - and the consequences for breaking them.

I feel that the opposite side of the spectrum, in which anything goes with regard to clothing, can be dangerous as well because in the media (read MTV) saturated world which many adolescent teens live in, image is everything, so by dressing a certain way - or not - one could be castigated for something as trivial as wearing pants that were too-tight or a shirt that was too-baggy.

The issue of school clothing policies is by no means trivial and should not be over looked in any school (urban, suburban, or rural). The question I pose is that of what is the purpose of having a clothing limitation? How is it related to classroom academics? How does the clothing issue relate to the greater school culture? And equally important - though not discussed on Thursday - what are the rules for the teachers?

Have a good weekend, yal