Here’s What To Wear as a Male Elementary Teacher

How somebody dresses can tell us many things, and that’s why many professions and businesses introduce dress codes – schools included. Students often think their male elementary teachers wear boring stuff because they have no taste, but usually, that’s required of them. Therefore, if you’re a male elementary teacher, here’s how to dress.

Male elementary teachers should dress primarily according to the dress code set by either the school or school district where he’s teaching. If there’s no clear dress code, it’s always the safest option to wear dress shirts and pants with smart, comfortable shoes. Avoid wearing baggy or overly tight clothes.

In this article, I’ll discuss what you should wear if you’re a male elementary teacher. I’ll mention the appropriate dress code, what you should avoid wearing, and some clothing ideas you can choose from.

Table of Contents

Appropriate Dress Code for Male Elementary Teachers

Let me start by stating that dress codes for elementary teachers vary depending on the type of school (public or private), school districts, and individual states. Additionally, outside the US, it depends on different regions, countries, and cultures. Therefore, it’s best to check with your school about its dress code for male elementary teachers.

However, many of these codes are pretty uniform (no pun intended), so I’ll stick to those which are universally shared.

A male elementary teacher should wear something that creates an image of someone who is both an authority figure in his classroom and someone who’s friendly with his students. This is tricky, as there is a broad spectrum from coming to class wearing a black suit and tie to coming in dressed as a children’s party entertainer. The main thing is that you feel relaxed and comfortable while still looking smart and presentable.

Most importantly, we should distinguish between private and public schools since dress codes for elementary teachers aren’t always the same in this respect.

Many private schools are usually more formal in their dress codes and are stricter in their implementation. On the other hand, public schools typically have either:

No clearly defined dress code

No dress code at all

Those school districts that do have a dress code for (male) elementary teachers most often require:

Professional look

Business-casual look
Comfortable clothes

An Exception: Those school districts with dress codes require all their elementary teachers to follow them except PE teachers. Because of the nature of their subject, they can wear more informal clothes when they’re on the field. So if you’re a PE teacher in an elementary school – lucky you!

In any case, you should always avoid wearing these while you’re teaching in an elementary school:

Hats or hoodies
Baggy clothes

Overly tight clothes
Torn clothes
Sleeveless shirts and t-shirts

Jeans or shorts
Sandals or flip-flops

Dress Codes for Elementary Schools Are Developing With Time

Let’s be clear: dress codes for male (and female) elementary teachers are no longer the strict rules from the past. Today’s dress codes aren’t usually that stringent and don’t include that many guidelines. That’s especially true after a year or two of online teaching due to the pandemic.

In that sense, dress codes for elementary teachers are more lenient nowadays and are all about how the teacher and his students feel about their clothes. The word “comfort” is key here. For instance, some schools allow male elementary teachers to wear sneakers because they don’t hurt their feet as much as dress shoes.

Moving from the traditional rules to a more relaxed approach undoubtedly benefits the teacher in the following ways:

He is much more comfortable throughout the day.

He can buy less formal attire, which is often more expensive.
He often spends less time getting ready for work.
He looks more approachable, which allows for more comfortable interactions.

With these benefits, the teacher can perform his duties and responsibilities more effectively, meaning that students are the real winners.

What Male Elementary Teachers Should Wear: Some Ideas

All dress tastes are different, but in the world of elementary teachers, clothes don’t just express your personal fashion sense – although you should always incorporate your own style into your “teaching wardrobe.”

Clothes are there for teachers to present their role as somebody in charge – that’s where the more formal and professional look comes in. At the same time, elementary teachers shouldn’t try to look like old university professors. So you can play with your fashion style a little.

Finally, male elementary teachers usually don’t have such a wide choice of things to wear, so here are some good ideas you might want to consider before you go shopping for your “teaching uniforms.”

Dress Shirts in Different Colors

It’s no secret that dress shirts are an essential go-to for any male elementary teacher. They look very professional and formal; they’re easy to put on, and, most importantly – they come in many colors and patterns. This is perfect if you’re teaching young students at the elementary level.

As a male elementary teacher, you can’t go wrong with a dress shirt. Some teachers like to coordinate the colors of their dress shirts and other pieces of clothing (usually socks).

It’s totally up to you, and honestly, given that male teachers don’t have that many accessories to wear, it’s an excellent detail to match your dress shirt with socks, shoes, or even eyeglass frames if you have more than one.

Sweaters and Cardigans

The reason why sweaters and cardigans are also very popular with teachers is that:

They’re really comfortable

They keep you warm
They come in different materials, colors, and styles
They’re a good alternative to dress shirts

Sweaters and cardigans come in handy during the colder days, when they’re often combined with dress shirts underneath – not to mention all the color combinations you can play with.

The most important note about cardigans and sweaters is that they’re tremendously comfortable while still being a great fit – not too tight or too big. Remember, we want to leave a professional look, so sleeves coming to your forearms or sleeves going past your fingers are not a good look.

Polo Shirts

Many of you are probably wondering by now: What if I don’t like dress shirts, but it’s just too hot for sweaters and cardigans? That’s where polo shirts enter the stage. Polo shirts are a big hit with male elementary teachers because it is the perfect embodiment of professional meets casual.

They come in many different colors and usually don’t have any prints or images, making them ideal for the elementary workplace. They also convey to your students that you’re friendly and easygoing.

We also need to discuss a fundamental question regarding polo shirts: should you tuck them in your pants or not? Some more traditional dress codes require teachers to tuck their polo shirts in, but nowadays, that decision is left entirely to the teachers.

Dress Pants

Let’s now move on to the type of pants male elementary teachers should wear. The best pants are dress pants. They’re not thick and coarse. Instead, they can be comfortable, light, and look formal. It’s simply a must for male elementary teachers.

Secondly, teachers’ dress pants can come in various colors, which is different from the standard male work attire of other professions. When we picture a conventional male elementary teacher, we usually imagine them wearing khaki or burgundy dress pants, and it just makes sense as it somehow looks casual and formal at the same time.

So, if you’re a male elementary teacher, it’s best to have a few dress pants in your closet, possibly even in different colors, so you can mix and match for various stylish combinations.

Comfortable Shoes

Shoes are another item of clothing that evolved through the years in connection with appropriate dress codes. Male elementary teachers used to be required to wear formal shoes that may hurt their feet after just a couple of hours.

That’s a bit problematic since teachers, especially in elementary, spend much time on their feet. So, those old rules had to go. Today, male elementary teachers are allowed to wear shoes they feel more comfortable in. Some schools still don’t allow sneakers, but they’re quickly becoming a minority.

So, you should opt for some lightweight shoes in which you can stand for an extended period of time, but be careful about the color of those shoes. It’s not prohibited, but you generally shouldn’t wear shoes with flashy colors or brash images and labels on them – it’s distracting and unprofessional. Black and brown shoes are still the most popular options, mainly because these colors go well with most dress pants.

Optional: Tie, Watch, and Jacket

Female elementary teachers have many accessories they can choose to wear, which isn’t the case with their male colleagues, who generally have only three: tie, watch, and jacket.

Some teachers prefer to wear a tie, but it’s not required of you to do so (unless stated otherwise by your school). The same goes for a jacket. Many teachers also wear a watch – more for the practicality of keeping time rather than looks.

Nonetheless, these accessories allow male teachers to be expressive and original with their dress image. There are hundreds of potential combinations available when you throw jackets, ties, and watches into the mix. It’s certainly possible to ditch the boring attire for a more creative look, which your students will find interesting (if nothing else).

On the other hand, don’t assume that because you’re teaching young students, you should be wearing silly ties or jackets regularly. This might not be the best idea, as this video will tell you:

These optional items are completely left to your taste if you’re ready to spend extra money on them.

Conclusion

If you’re a male elementary teacher and aren’t sure how you should dress in a school environment, you should always remember to:

Check your school’s dress code

Don’t wear clothes that don’t fit appropriately
Try to look professional but also friendly
Wear comfortable clothes, especially shoes

Sources

Real Men Real Style: Career Wardrobes: The Teacher