Clothing and the Classroom "Oh, look at her shoes, I've been wanting a pair like that!" "Look, she must shop at Walmart." "Her skirt is way short, I know what she does on the weekend." These are statements that might be made by students who have the freedom to dress however they chose to. By having a particular dress code at a school, the environment of the classroom is often affected.
While in a classroom, being focused on the subject at hand is very important. However, when there are people dressed in all different types of clothes, it is hard to keep one's attention on the subject. "Free dress" causes a considerable amount of distraction in a classroom. Having the privilege of wearing what one chooses to wear can result in diverting the students' focus from the course to what their fellow classmates are wearing. For example, a student may spot a nice pair of shoes she had been wanting for so long which causes her not to concentrate on the class, but on how badly she craves those new shoes.
Students of SASTRA in their classroom
English: Students in classroom
English: Students in an elementary school classroo...Free dressing can cause the environment of the classroom to become distracting, which can result in a non-conducive environment for learning.
Free dressing can also cause the students in the classroom to become superficial and shallow. Not only are the students distracted because of what other people are wearing, their perceptions of the other students are most often judged on by what those other students wear. The students are judged by what is on the outside, instead of what is on the inside, which is what counts. For example, just because someone maybe by wearing a shirt she bought from Walmart, it doesn't mean that she should be judged badly for it. Wearing what one chooses to wear can result in a classroom in which the students are strictly rated by the clothes they are wearing. Having this "free dress" code can contribute to having a negative environment between the students in the classroom.
Stereotyping is also a problem that can be associated with the dress code in which the students may wear the clothes they want. Not only are the students judged on what they are wearing, they are stereotyped because of their clothing. For example, if a girl's skirt is just a tad too short, it is not fair to assume that one knows what she does on the weekend, but that stereotype often occurs if someone's apparel is a little inappropriate. Stereotyping can result in many misconceptions being made, thus causing difficulty between the students. It is not the proper way to establish one's idea about someone that is in her class. The idea of stereotyping is an effect of being able to choose one's attire for school, and it can result in the classroom environment once again being disrupted.
Free dressing can cause distraction, superficiality, and stereotyping, which in turn disturb the learning environment of the classroom. In a classroom, there should be a positive and favorable atmosphere in which the students can learn, but having the particular code of "free dress" can greatly change that ideal environment.
Men Shopping for Clothing Accessories
Clothing and Textiles
Teacher with students in Benin classroom