Student Teacher Style Essentials

This (school) year was my first of two in the Teacher Education program at the University of Ottawa. Part of the requirement was an eight week evaluated placement at a school. Despite my teachable subject being English, I was placed in a subject area class for none other than...math, grades 6, 7, and 8, as well as one class of language arts. 

During my placement, I quickly learned the unspoken rules of dressing the part of a student teacher (namely, no jeans), and today I offer some of my favourite pieces. Keep in mind that all schools are different; some portray a more casual vibe, while others tend to have a higher standard for teacher attire. As a student teacher, it is important to look nice, but not out of place. Also keep in mind that I did my placement in the winter months, so most of these essentials are tailored to that season. My next placement will be in the fall, so we will see if my essentials change with the season!

Dress Pants

Left to right: Eclipse, American Eagle, Dynamite, Noisy may

Instead of jeans, I was introduced to the world of dress pants. Aside from the wide leg / boot cut pairs, I was also able to find skinny pants that fit well but did not look like leggings. The ones on the far right are in fact jeans, but they are black and so soft that they feel like pants, so they are an exception to the no jeans unspoken rule. If you are allowed to wear jeans or if your school is more casual, I would suggest skinny or boot cut fits in dark washes. 

Dressy Tops

Clockwise from top left: Target, Zara, Dynamite, Dynamite, Smart Set (middle one)

Unfortunately, I could not find links to any of these specific tops, as they are all at least a year old (except for the one from Zara, which is not online, but it might still be in stores). Instead of traditional button down blouses, I found myself wearing more printed tops, first for comfort, and second for interest. They are easier to move around in and still look dressy and professional. Try to choose tops with interesting patterns, colours, and necklines (I love the zipper detail on bottom two). 

Sweaters and Cardigans

Clockwise from top left: Eddie Bauer, Tommy Hilfiger, Forever 21, Eddie Bauer

(similar styles here)

All Lord & Taylor except top right, American Eagle (similar)

Since it is now spring, most stores have gotten rid of their stock of cable knit sweaters and wool cardigans, but once it hits fall and winter, they will be back in stock (I know for a fact that Eddie Bauer has new wool sweaters every winter)! As I mentioned before, my placement was during the winter months, and it was COLD in the classroom, so I had to layer up as much as I could. That meant wool or chunky cable knit sweaters and cashmere / wool cardigans. To relieve some of the itch from the wool, I would sometimes wear a thin long sleeved shirt underneath. These essentials, especially the Lord & Taylor cardigans, are quite pricey, but they are worth it!

(Comfortable!) Shoes

Left to right: Payless (similar), Payless, Naturalizer (similar)

Comfortable shoes are a must for teaching, as you are on your feet pretty much all day. My footwear choices were definitely not the best during my placement, as the black flats in the middle were not very comfortable at all, even with insoles. I will continue my search for comfortable shoes in the fall! I had to change into shoes at my placement school, but if yours allows you to keep your boots on in the winter, definitely invest in a good pair!

Jewellery

Left to right: Accessorize (similar), Forever 21

Left to right: Ardene (similar), Ardene (similar), Forever 21

For accessories, I loved wearing statement or long necklaces instead of bracelets, as they were less in the way when showing something underneath the projection screen, or pointing at something on student work. These necklaces work especially well with the chunky sweaters from above.

These are all my student teacher essentials! Let me know what other essentials you have for student teaching / internships / placements!

Outfits for Work & Interviews: Dressy

When school ended and I continued the task of finding a summer job, I went to multiple interviews for a variety of different places (everything from summer camps to government positions). Even though I was overdressed for most of them, I still recommend dressing up to make a good first impression. Whether you're looking for your next job or in a position that requires a professional look, here are some ideas for dressing for success.

Blouse: Tommy Hilfiger (at Hudson's Bay)
Tank top: Garage
Pants: American Eagle
Necklace: Ardene

My go-to dressy look always starts with a good button-down shirt. I love rolling up the sleeves so I can move around, take notes, or type on the computer better. It's hard to see in the picture, but the pants are navy blue, skinny, and cuffed at the bottom. These pants are soft, comfortable, and a great alternative to basic dress pants.

Blouse: Tommy Hilfiger
Pants: Eclipse
Necklace: Ardene

You can sense a theme here...I do like Tommy Hilfiger shirts. Another great place for basic blouses is H&M- they're only $20! The other theme here is the statement necklaces- I liked wearing them in the winter with sweaters, but they're great to dress up a blouse in the summer. Paired with that I have some basic black dress pants.

T-shirt: Target
Cardigan: Justice
Pants: Smart Set
Necklace: gift

I got creative with this last outfit- I thought it would be good in the event of an interview for a creative place, or an intern in a magazine. And yes, the cardigan is from a store for teen girls (that I worked at for two years). I also like how bright these pants are for summer.

What are your favourite work outfits?

What I Wear to Work

Since I have a job for the summer, I thought I'd post what I wear on a daily basis. My work environment is pretty casual, but I still like to dress up without sporting a full suit. 

All of these looks feature different patterns- I am finally branching out from the floral!

Outfit 1: Leopard Print

Shirt: Target

Jeans: American Eagle

Cardigan: American Eagle

Lipstick: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 11

Even though it's summer, I still wear jeans and a t-shirt, but I have updated my collection of t-shirts with different prints and styles. I also love wearing red lipstick with a leopard print. Also, my go-to pair of shoes for the summer are some light brown oxfords I bought at Payless. 

Outfit 2: Crazy Colours

Blouse: Dynamite

Jeans: American Eagle

Bangles: Forever 21

I absolutely love this blouse, yet I don't know quite how to describe this print- zigzag? Tie dye? Tribal? Whatever it is, it's something I normally would not have picked out. Aside from the pattern, I like the zipper detailing, which is a change from the normal button-down shirt. Paired with classic skinny jeans and some bangles (or bracelets of your choice), this look is also great to transition to an evening out. 

Outfit 3: Casual Friday

Tank: Ardene

Cardigan: Aeropostale

Jeans: Ardene

Necklace: American Eagle

This final look is the most casual of the three; something I would wear on Friday to dress down a little. I really like the tribal print in the shirt (which is also super soft!) mixed with the lace in the cardigan. 

I realize these outfits are probably not for everyone, seeing that my workplace is more casual than most, but I do have more outfit ideas on the way, including what I wore to my numerous interviews I had in May, as well as some summer appropriate options (think skirts and dresses). 

What do you wear to work?