School Dress Up Days

A few tips to maximize your fun-factor and minimize your stress

Wednesday evening I was in my classroom preparing to teach preservice teachers that I have the honor of instructing this semester. I heard one of them talking about “Pajama Day” at her school placement and how she didn’t have something she would were to school for this special day because she just wears sweats or shorts and a t-shirt to bed.

I don’t want to be the creepy teacher always listening in and dropping into student conversations but I remember days like that. There were multiple times when Spirit Week or Homecoming or some other dress up day was coming up and I felt stressed about it. I wanted to take part because I love the sense of fun that comes with those days. I also firmly believe students love to see their teachers participating. So one year, in order to be less stressed out.. I chose to get some staple items for these days.

I share this now because right after Halloween is a great time to pick up good stuff dirt cheap that has been discounted. In fact, after any holiday you can find things that can be part of your future dress up days. The problem is that most schools have different themes for weeks every year, so choosing a few go-to’s that you can mix and match can be helpful for the future. ALWAYS buy that goofy shirt you find in your school’s colors!

In my “Go To” box:

• A tutu because… duh. You can be a princess, a dancer, a super fan, and with the right colors of tulle- you can support multiple holidays with one multi-purpose tutu- white? Watch out tooth fairy, ghost, Cupid, angel, etc!
• A cape… you can become a super hero or super teacher. Basically, any day can become extraordinary with a cape.
• Sunglasses — cactus frames? School colored? Aviator shades, pop the lenses out and they become glasses for that historical figure.
• Anything Hawaiian — leis, grass skirts, Hawaiian shirts. At some point in time there will be a dress up day where Hawaiian wear is the perfect fit- trust me.
• Hats — ball caps, bucket hats, toboggans, straw hats, the more ridiculous the better!
• Headbands — the ones with the wiggly wires above the band. You can get them at the dollar shop with anything from flowers to sharks BUT you can also remove the toppers and create your own to meet your needs!
• Shoes- this may just be a “me thing” because I love shoes… but a pair of white Keds or knockoffs will help you pull off any outfit.
• Pajamas… wait until after season and buy some animal onesies in summer. Buy some pj pants that would allow you to mix up the top to meet the most current theme. Take advantage of getting to wear your pjs to work! What other career allows this? So much of the time we focus on the long hours, bad pay, and angry students… but a day where I can wear pjs and carry a cup off hot tea in my hand feels like I’m cheating in life just a bit. Take advantage!

So go to the bargain bin stores and dig deep in the pallet boxes! Go to the dollar stores after holidays and buy that Santa hat or Uncle Sam hat or pumpkin jewelry. Go to the thrift store and buy a team jersey or a hot pink satin jacket! Create your “go to” stash. I always did things bigger at Christmas, but choose your own splurge day. Get your staples stocked and always keep an eye out for the unusual that can be used. Instead of stressing out about those days, OWN THEM! And don’t just own them, ENJOY THEM!