Teachers taught what not to wear

• By CHARLES LUSSIER
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Jul 24, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Worried that new teachers sometimes lack common sense about their fashion sense, East Baton Rouge Parish school leaders displayed for more than 300 new teachers Thursday what not to wear in two weeks when they walk into their classrooms for the first time.

“This addresses issues they don’t teach in the colleges of education,” explained Angela Lee, special assistant to the superintendent.

Ten veteran educators, including two principals, served as the models. Woodlawn High School was the site of this cautionary fashion show named “What Not To Wear” after the TLC television program of the same name. The teachers are taking part in a two-day induction training for new teachers in the school system called “Smart Start.”

Jill Saia, a professional development specialist who helped organize Smart Start, now in its second year, said the fashion show arose directly from the horror stories of the teachers involved and what they’ve observed during their careers.

Saia said last year’s fashion show made an impression on the new teachers and she expects the same this year.

“They came back on the second day, they were better dressed,” Saia said. “It had an immediate impact. Whether it has a long-term impact, we don’t know.”

One by one, the educators paraded down the aisle onto the school auditorium’s stage wearing classroom-inappropriate clothing. Later, they walked the stage again, this time wearing more professional, more appropriate attire.

The “what not to wear” outfits ranged from the plainly ridiculous to more subtle no-nos.

At the ridiculous end, Kirk Guidry, director of professional development, hammed it up for the audience, wearing a backward ball cap, gray sweatpants and a ratty Abita beer T-shirt.

On the less obvious end, Monica Mitchell, a math content trainer, was perhaps a mite too casual in her jeans and blouse, though not too much. Until, that is, she dropped a pencil and bent over to pick it up, revealing the top of a thong for the audience.

Lee served as emcee and mostly disapproving observer.

When Jo Ann Ponville, an instructional technology specialist, wore a ball cap, a white undershirt and pajama pants, Lee suggested she head straight home and away from school.

“Boy, is she ready to go back to bed,” Lee said.