What should a teacher wear?

My Own Opinion:

This article was published a little while ago in the New Zealand Herald.
Dress to impress, teachers told - The Herald

I couldn't agree more with the NZ Teachers Council regarding dress standards. We are professionals. We expect to be paid like professionals and we expect to be treated like professionals from our leaders, our children and their parents. 

Professional does not mean expensive and it does not mean uncomfortable. It also does not mean powerful. We are role-models and we should be expected to present ourselves tidily and appropriately.

I have now taught 5 year olds to 11 year olds. I have never had a problem wearing a skirt, going out to a sports field or sitting on the floor, and I have never had a major paint spill (I did splatter dye on a knit jersey once - could easily have been lunch I spilled down my front if I was in a different job).

As part of my classroom kit, I have an art apron that I put on during art time, and I keep a pair of old sports shoes in the cupboard. 

I'm not perfect, I have made some errors in judgement before - I'm not the fashion police but in general, there are a few things I try to avoid.

1) Faded jeans (Jeans itself is an interesting debate, I generally try to avoid them, but if accompanied with a dressy top and shoes they can be acceptable at times)
2) Spaghetti straps
3) Rubber jandals with no back strap
4) Skirts any shorter than just above your knee
5) Ugg boots
6) Sweater hoodies