2) Later, at another school, upon seeing all the female teachers working there, a prospective, adult male student asked me, "Gosh, are all the teachers who work here pretty?" Without missing a beat, I replied, touching my hair, "Why yes, Monsieur, we are."
3) Not too long ago, I was standing in a Parisian commuter train on my way to class when an ad for a successful home-tutoring service caught my eye. A beautiful, young woman with wavy brown locks sits at her cafe table with an esperesso tasse, pensively looking at the sky. The ad reads that she's a teacher - hoping she's been all she can be. But what jumps out, or rather pops out, is her plunging neckline. I had to smile, wondering if fathers would call up the school asking for a tutor "just like that one!" The above examples got me thinking. What is an English teacher in the 21st Century supposed to look like? Do clients expect they'll be getting the present perfect with Juliette Binoche? Honestly, today, clients are getting scarcer and pickier, and with that the expectations for professionalism and perfectionism are getting higher.
I'm not saying we should all go get face lifts and hair plugs. But teachers, especially independents who bounce from the classroom to the human resources office and back again, need to be aware of their professional image.
We've already acknowledged that the job is difficult and the conditions are harsh. But as ugly as this may sound, I do believe learners prefer a teacher who is pleasantly put together. We teachers need to start thinking about the nonverbal messages we send to our learners if we come into class looking like, well, we've been run over by that commuter train.
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Good one Bethany!
ReplyDeleteAs someone who till last week dealt with getting students' feedback, I've heard stuff like the ones you mentioned such as, "I've had three male teachers, can't you send in a woman this time, but not that old one uh" - c'mon get a life IT analyst! - wish I had said.
Plenty of times I had to send reminders to female teachers to be more careful with how they dress in the summer, and to male ones about how they smell in the summer; Brazil is hot, y'know.
Love your post.
ReplyDeleteThis is yet one more thing for directors of studies and managers to think about. Does ELT Management training address this issue? I wonder. And I can imagine it's not easy approaching a valuable teacher with such a touchy topic.
I've also seen male students request a specific teacher because she was, well...flirty with the gentlemen. And at one school, all the female teachers were ordered to wear turtlenecks because the hormonal teenager we were teaching couldn't concentrate!
Good luck staying cool in Brazil!
Dear Bethany,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with your post!
It's maybe unfair or weird sometimes but we, teachers, are working with people and it is natural that they prefer the company of good-looking people. It has to do something with evolution I suppose.
Vladimira
Male students here are always requesting pretty female teachers. They also tend to complain less about them. On the other hand, culturally there is a huge lack of respect for young female teachers, especially ones with plunging necklines or what-have-you. I think looking professional and adjusting to cultural standards of said professionalism is important for any teacher.
ReplyDeleteVladimira and Nick,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your posts. You've made me think of another post I'd like to write. If we teachers make the effort to look professional, should we then make the same demands on training establishments? I mean should we expect pleasant working environments (e.g. proper heating, ventilation, availability of filtered water, etc). If our health depends on us working, shouldn't establishments ensure that these basic needs are met?
(I'm writing this after spending one week recovering from pneumonia I caught after teaching two days in a classrooms with no heat). Stay tuned!