Work vent / Am I crazy?

[sugarbear]

PDQ

I teach at a private school. We have 3 acres of undeveloped woods. The school has raised a ton of money (hundreds of thousands of dollars) to incorporate outdoor education into our curriculum.

It is unclear, as of yet, to what extent we are expected to engage in outdoor ed. I teach English and Social Studies. 

All we've heard so far is that we are expected to be outside somewhat frequently with our classes. Like, weekly. Except that we have a pretty strict business casual dress code. Um, I'm not going to walk through wetlands and forest in a dress and heels. I'm not going to sit down in the grass in a dress.

Am I nuts? We are taking an anonymous survey today and I basically wrote this ^^, but now I'm wondering if I'm crazy. Would you request-- and expect-- a change in our dress code?

[sugarbear]

Sept 22, 2014 17:12:15 GMT -5 nicbreeful said:

I can't imagine they would expect you to traipse through the woods wearing heels. I'm sure they plan to amend their dress code accordingly.

You would think, but it's been 80 degrees here, and the science teacher got in trouble last week for wearing (very nice) khaki shorts. 

[TrickyBob]

I'd imagine they'd let you wear the appropriate clothing on the days you go out.

I also LOL everytime SueSue quotes when a post starts out PDQ - she reminds me of my Mom <3

[tripleshot]

You're not nuts. I'd do the same thing.

[sugarbear]

Sept 22, 2014 17:11:25 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

Sept 22, 2014 17:09:45 GMT -5 sugarbear said:

I'd ask for jeans days for outdoor activity times. If it's every day, well, so be it. 

I would, but with my curriculum, I need to be more spontaneous.
LOL. 

And, PDQ ^^

[FishChicks]

You're not crazy at all. I would hope the administration would address this, but on case it hasn't crossed their minds, I think it's fine to politely raise the issue. For the record, my last job was split between meetings with senior execs and days spent in the field. While the dress code was officially business casual, I wore suits on exec days and jeans or khakis on field days and no one ever complained.

[tripleshot]

Sept 22, 2014 17:13:14 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

I'd imagine they'd let you wear the appropriate clothing on the days you go out.

I also LOL everytime SueSue quotes when a post starts out PDQ - she reminds me of my Mom <3

Maybe @cse1960 thinks PDQ means pretty darn quick?

[smock]

What kinds of developments are they planning in the woods? If there will be paths and benches I could see maintaining the dress code. But until then, you're completely right to point out that dresses and heels are incompatible with wetlands.

[zoomzoom]

I think it's an odd policy. How are they planning on having teachers coordinate whose classes will be outside on which days? What if every teacher chose the same day?

[smock]

I'm also wondering if the administration is predominantly male--because it seems like none of them have considered the problem of wearing heels in the woods.

[redheadk]

There is a wide gap between strict business casual and shorts. Couldn't you wear nice khakis and flats then change into outdoor appropriate shoes?

Will there be tables or an outdoor classroom of some sort?

[copperboom]

Wear pants and flats.

[WOT?*]

Shorts aren't business casual (I was chastised for that once upon a time, even though they were very expensive walking shorts - hey this was back in the '90s when dress shorts were a thing!) but khaki or other dress pants and flat shoes are business casual. Or pants with a change of shoes kept at school that are suitable for the "outdoor" days won't go against a BC dress code.

[sugarbear]

We have enough space that every class could be outside without planning ahead or reserving space. Several outdoor classrooms, a garden and orchard, grass fields, and thick woods.

I know I can wear pants and flats, but its hilly and there are muddy hiking trails, not paths. I would wear a Dansko, for example, but not flats. And even the outdoor classrooms are mossy \ wooded, so I'm not inclined to wear my nicer pants, either.

I see that I might be asking too much.

[sugarbear]

Sept 22, 2014 17:17:02 GMT -5 kevin arnold said:

Lol at "very nice" khaki shorts.

Ok, I know. But he god outside daily, and it's hot. You'd think admin would understand.

[CajunShrimp]

Find a nearby tree, and read "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer to your English students. Tell them that is far as you are willing to go.

[WOT?*]

Sept 22, 2014 17:57:07 GMT -5 CajunShrimp said:

Find a nearby tree, and read "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer to your English students. Tell them that is far as you are willing to go.

Screw Kilmer. Go for Ogden Nash.

I think that I shall never see a billboard lovely as a tree.

Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I'll never see a tree at all.

[isabel]

Sept 22, 2014 17:23:27 GMT -5 kevin arnold said:

Your concerns have validity. If getting the dress code changed can happen and that makes everyone happier, then go for it.

But, listen. Business casual doesn't mean you have to wear a dress and heels. And there's a huge grey area between a dress and heels, and khaki shorts! You can certainly come up with an outfit that is appropriate for outdoors while still also business casual, right?

Yeah, I'm sort of here. I work in a restaurant, giving food to tables, setting out buffets, bussing tables, etc. It's all hazards of the job. I'm required to wear a suit every day. Are they stained? Yep. I don't wear heels, I wear danskos. I would just find a pair of pants that you will wear on your outdoor days and so be it if they get a little dirty or whatever. And find some flats that are nice enough while still being functional.

I agree that a change in dress code would certainly be nice, but I would never ever consider shorts (of any color or material) to fit business casual. He should have been wearing pants.

[livinitup]

I think keeping a good pair of hiking boots with clean socks in the classroom would be acceptable for any outfit. Just change into them when you head outside. And don't sit :/