My Clothes Make Up 50% of My Teaching
My Clothes Make Up 50% of My Teaching
The unexpected ways outfits, accessories, and kitten
mittens became the main attraction in ballet class.
As a ballet teacher, I always assumed the hardest part of
class would be keeping tiny toes pointed, arms graceful, and everyone moving in
the same direction. It turns out the real challenge is getting through a lesson
without my outfit becoming the main topic of discussion.
Anyone who works with children knows they notice everything
and rarely keep their opinions to themselves. Their observations aren't usually
meant to be cruel; they're simply reporting what they see. Unfortunately for
teachers, that means every unusual outfit, hairstyle, and accessory is
immediately placed under official classroom investigation.
And when it comes to fashion, these little humans take their duties very seriously.
👚The Off-Shoulder
Disaster
One of my earliest fashion fiascos involved an off-shoulder
top. My students spent the entire class "fixing" it, constantly
tugging it back into place despite my repeated explanations that it was
designed to fall that way.
Ironically, it was Civvies Day, when students were allowed
to wear casual clothes instead of their uniforms. They arrived in crop tops,
shorts, and every imaginable fashion experiment. Apparently, I wasn't allowed
to show a little shoulder.
I mean, have you seen what children do to a doll whose
hairstyle they deem unacceptable? Terrifying.
❌The Mismatched
Outfit Mayhem
That wasn't the last time my wardrobe stole the spotlight.
On days when I'm rushing and grab whatever I can find in my cupboard, the
results can be... colourful.
Bright pink pants with a military-green jersey? Perfectly
reasonable when you’re running late.
Not according to my students.
While I was trying to teach pliés, they were busy discussing
my fashion choices. One child informed me that my outfit looked
"confused," while another spent half the lesson asking why my pants
were so bright. Suddenly, my clothes were far more interesting than ballet.
It's fascinating how something as simple as clashing colours
can shift the energy in a room. Instead of focusing on technique, they're
analysing my wardrobe like tiny fashion critics.
💄The Makeup Mystery
Even when I try to look put together, the focus shifts
again.
If I wear something fancy, the compliments pour in, but so
does the fixation. And makeup? That's a whole new level of distraction.
The moment I walk into class wearing lipstick, the questions
begin.
"Are you going on a date, Miss Zoraya?"
"Why do your lips look so bright today?"
"Are you going somewhere special?"
It's sweet, but it also turns them into little Sherlock Holmes.
To them, makeup isn't just decoration. It's evidence. A clue. A mystery that
must be solved.
And once they've started investigating, the lesson quickly takes second place.
👟The Branded Shoe
Drama
Of course, shoes aren't safe either.
The day I wore branded shoes, the excitement was off the
charts. My students gathered around to inspect them as though I had arrived
with a celebrity.
Unfortunately, their admiration quickly turned into
heartbreak when I admitted the shoes weren't actually mine.
Who knew borrowed sneakers could cause such lasting
disappointment?
For days afterwards, I was reminded of the tragedy.
Apparently, I had fallen dramatically in their estimation. Those
shoes weren't just footwear. They were status.
🧤The Kitten Mittens Cult
By now, you'd think I would have learned my lesson.
But fashion has a way of sneaking back into the classroom.
One winter day, I wore my kitten mittens. They were adorable
fingerless gloves shaped like cat paws that I had crocheted myself.
Big mistake.
Suddenly, I wasn't the teacher anymore.
I was the kid with the coolest toy on the playground.
My gloves were passed from one student to another — my
hands still inside them. And every demonstration was accompanied by wide-eyed
stares directed firmly at my paws instead of my technique.
Eventually, I removed them and placed them on a nearby
table.
This only made matters worse.
The table became a shrine.
An altar.
A sacred place of worship dedicated entirely to the Almighty
Kitten Mittens.
Students glanced at them throughout the lesson. Some
approached reverently during breaks. One child even created a plaque card in
their honour.
Realising I had lost all control of the situation, I decided
to work with the chaos instead of against it.
Anyone who impressed the Kitten Mittens with exceptional
posture, beautifully pointed toes, or outstanding effort earned an extra
sticker.
The results were astonishing.
Laser focus.
Since then, the Kitten Mittens get placed on their shrine
every lesson.
Unfortunately, I now have cold hands all winter.
💫 Closing Note
If teaching ballet has taught me anything, it's that clothes
can command nearly as much attention as choreography.
Whether it's an off-shoulder top, bright pink pants, branded
shoes, makeup, or a pair of crocheted kitten mittens, my wardrobe has the
remarkable ability to shape the energy in a room.
Children place enormous importance on appearance because
they're still learning how the world works. Fashion isn't simply decoration to
them. It's information. Every outfit tells a story, and they're determined to
figure out what that story is.
Sometimes those stories become distractions.
Sometimes they become motivation.
But they always matter.
These days, I spend almost as much time thinking about what
I'm wearing as what I'm teaching. After all, if my wardrobe really makes up 50%
of my teaching, I'd better make sure the lesson plan can compete.
💬 Teachers, has your wardrobe ever hijacked your classroom? Have your shoes, makeup, hairstyle, or accessories ever become the main event?
I'd love to hear your stories because if there's one thing I've learned, it's that teaching isn't always about the lesson plan.
Sometimes, it's about the outfit.
🪩 Blog Disclosure
No kitten mittens
were harmed in the making of this post. Only my dignity, my shoulders, and my
pink pants suffered — all in the name of ballet.
For those interested in crocheting their own kitten mittens-this is the pattern I used
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