I know, I know….believe me. The words

“dress up days”

seem to haunt the teachers around the world.

 

The first thing we think is:  Dress-up Days-

1. This is another thing that is going to cause our students to be distracted or misbehave.

2. I have to spend MORE money that I don’t have to try to seem as though I am “in to” and want to dress up for these special days.

3. Dress up days just make the days seem LOOOOONNNNGGGGEEERRRR due to the fact that I constantly have to get on or redirect the students when it comes to their costumes.

4. Oh….dress up day is a fundraiser this time?!?…..Great, now I have to take up the money, total it up, and make sure I remember to send it up to the office.

5. I could literally list more and more reasons……

 

However,

Let’s change our mindset….

We expect our students to have a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset….so, let’s try it ourselves.

  • What if us dressing up for the “theme” or “dress up” days makes our students feel that we are more relatable?

 

  • What if there is a kiddo that has had the worst night/morning at home, and walks into your classroom to see YOU…his/her teacher….DRESSED up and celebrating whatever the dress up day is deemed for.

 

  • What if. Just what if. The smile you give that child….as you wear your crazy get-up…..is the ONLY smile they receive from someone today?

 

  • What if dressing up to introduce that lesson grasps the attention of that ONE student that never seems to “get it.”

 

  • There is absolutely NOTHING wrong, actually it is encouraged, for teachers to show school spirit. This makes it seem as though their teacher has sense of pride for the school and is willing to even look silly to support the “cause” for the dress up day.

 

So. The next time there is a dress up day…. Think about it.

TRULY think….is me taking the extra 3-minutes on this cold day WORTH my students feeling as though I am invested in their learning?

Is this silly outfit or wearing a certain color to support cancer worth it to that ONE student whose mom just passed from that cancer? That one student who currently has a grandpa sick with that disease.

That one student who when you dress up in red for “Dyslexia Awareness Day” or in blue for “Autism Awareness Day” can relate either becaue they have that special need OR a sibling of theirs does?

Do it for your kiddos.

The students you consider your OWN.

Be silly. Dress up. Make the best of it.

AND, have a smile on your face while doing it! 🙂

Dress-up Days

Dress up when you are introducing Long Division and the acronym has the word hamburger in it:

Dress up when you are “Berry” excited when your students achieved a goal that they have been working on.

 

Dress-up day: When your multiplication unit has to do with PIRATES….

Dress up when the EGG DROP is happening that day in your science unit!

 

Dress up when you are about to do an inferencing activity with your class:

 

 

Dress-up day: When the idiom for the week happens to be “Go Bananas.”

Or, when the idiom of the week is “It’s raining cats and dogs.”

Or, for that text feature unit that has been a struggle for your students and you decide to do “Text Feature Surgery” in your class.

Or, when the idiom of the week is difficult to understand, and they just don’t understand what “I have a bone to pick with you” means.

Or, when it is simply school spirit day and you are a part of the RED house.

 

Kristen Eason