Well here's post #1 for the week. Thank you to those who haven't reminded me that I'm late, I've been traveling and since my laptop has no battery life these days and my phone is not a convenient way of typing up a blog, it's taken me an extra day to get enough time to type this out.
What great thoughts do I have for you today? alas... I have no idea :P I've been thinking about this post for the last couple days and frankly I haven't come to very many conclusions...
Has anyone else noticed how many highschool students are protesting the dress code these days??? One of my friends posted an article on facebook that I just came across... It's written by an individual protesting the protesters.
http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/kelly-mcparland-school-is-about-learning-and-that-includes-lessons-on-appropriate-clothing
I actually loved this article. Because it recognizes the responsibility teachers and principals have to educate and demonstrate to students beyond what is simply mathematics or literature. I can recognize for a few of the students taking on these protests the teachers/principals may have been a little picky as far as the dress code goes. But the fact remains, that teacher/principal has a responsibility to uphold school dress code, and that includes helping students understand appropriate and inappropriate dress for their situation. Every school has a dress code, for some that may mean uniforms, others that may simply expect students to have shoulders covered or no skin showing above the knee... Once your off school property you are no longer under the school dress code. But your still within someone's dress code... that may be the mall which says no shirt, no shoes, no service... maybe the community you live in simply expects to be able to walk down the street and not see their neighbor in their birthday suit...
Whatever the case may be, if you step into a community of some sort there are certain guidelines that must be upheld. Coming from one of the more conservative communities I often hear complaints about not being allowed to wear jewelry, or not allowed spaghetti straps on campus. I've had friends throw a fit because they left campus and had a party off campus where everyone came back drunk and got in trouble with the discipline community.
In response to the on campus rules, I recognize that in the "real world" your allowed to wear "anything you want" but thats not the case... There's always rules at work, at home, at softball practice about what you may or may not wear... you might be allowed jewelry... but you may have to get rid of those ripped jeans.
As for the off campus discipline, you chose to go to the school, you knew the rules before you came. You probably came for the atmosphere, the friends, maybe you came because your family told you how great a school it was. As a student, especially of higher levels of education, you carry with you the ability to give your school a reputation. The authority at these schools have the responsibility to ensure that their students uphold the reputation that they strive to create. Just because you take a group of these students off campus... Doesn't give you the right to break every rule...
I find the younger generation forgets why certain expectations exist. With sex offenders on the rise, they still fight the system to be allowed to wear less clothing. Is it their fault if they get sexualized and/or raped??? no, it is definitely not their fault. but they didn't help matters either did they? We should be fighting the problem, not arguing that there shouldn't be a problem...
As far as students and teachers who may not agree with the dress code and feel a protest or blatant disregard is the answer... Remember... your in the system of education, the one that thrives on teachers and students. Students need to stop protesting their problems and address the real issue. If you feel the codes need to be updated from the stone age... then figure out an appropriate way to talk to the teachers and get the codes updated. I won't lie, I'm sure alot of school just copy and paste their manuals and who knows the last time the manual was actually looked through... if it was from back in your grandmother's day when ankles were super inappropriate... maybe you should get the teachers to update it. But if you just really like your dress and think everyone is ridiculous for thinking it's inappropriate... maybe you should rethink whether or not you have the right to complain. Not everything needs to be updated believe it or not... check out different businesses in your community and find out their dress code... is it the tacky shirt with a logo and khaki pants??? you may not want to use them as an example... but how about high class business professionals... banks, real-estate agents... alot of very well dressed individuals... who dress to impress and follow the code accordingly... maybe you need to go to a more casual counselor or gym to find out their codes... but where ever you go to check out dress codes... remember you can't go to a swimming pool and expect class rules to be the same... gym rules and professional rules aren't the same... But assess where on the scale your school/setting may be and remember to respect the authority who's been around awhile and kinda has an idea of what they are talking about.