My First Year of Teaching + Q&A

My First Year of Teaching + Q&A

Monday, June 10, 2019

WOW....where has the time gone! One minute I was starting my first day of my first year as a teacher and then next thing I know I finished my first year teaching!

If you thought I had dropped off the face of the earth (due to my absence from the blog) this is where I have been....in the classroom. At the beginning of the semester I thought I would be able to balance teaching and blogging, but blogging quickly took a back seat as teaching became priority and all my time went into creating lessons or re-charging/sleeping. 

Needless to say life has been CRAZY......but a good crazy! I used to think college was the craziest time of my life, but teaching has definitely beat that! 

I truly don't think I have been more exhausted in my life! From early mornings to busy days it has definitely been an adjustment for this Introvert but I have loved every minute of it. 

It is definitely different having my own classroom where I am in charge, get to make the rules, and teach every day. My students constantly amaze me with their whit, humor, crazy antics, brilliant brains, nuggets of advice and laughter.
I feel like I could write PAGES on everything that happened my first year of teaching, but I wanted to fill all of you wonderful readers in on this new chapter of my life! On a quick note though, if you do want to read more of my thoughts on teaching I did create a teacher blog called The Frizzle File.

If i were to say one thing about my first year I would definitely say that it was everything I thought and at the same time so much more than I ever imagined. There were definitely hard days, but there were so many amazing days as well. There were so many tough moments, while also so many moments that made everything worth it!

I got some questions about teaching from people on Instagram and thought I would take some time to answer them here:

1) What was something that surprised you about teaching?

I think there were definitely so many things that surprised me! You hear so many stories about teaching, but it doesn't become real until you become a teacher yourself. I was definitely surprised by how quickly I grew to love all of my students. I think so many of the things were less of a "surprise" and more so a confirmation of why teaching is so important and a rewarding profession. I was reminded of how important building relationships with students is and also how important it is to see students for who they are and encourage them to reach their full potential. 

2) What was the hardest part about teaching?

I think as an Introvert there are days where teaching is harder for me than other people. However, the hardest part about teaching is definitely dealing with conflicts within the classroom between students, or students not respecting your class, rules or methods. Thankfully I didn't have to deal with to many serious issues, but seeing students wrestle through their own battles (be it with friends, family, or life) is always tough. 

3) What is one thing that is different than expected?

I don't think I really expected to generally look forward to school every day, even on the tough days.I didn't expect to be this EXHAUSTED, but knowing my personality as an introvert it makes since...I seriously have not been this exhausted ever in my life! I also didn't expect to grow so much as a person. I was also blessed to be working at an incredible school and daily be surrounded by amazing people who really support each other as well as having some of the best administration and specialists who let me try new things and support me taking risks. 

4) What did you have to major in to teach the class you do?

I majored in "Family and Consumer Science" (what was previously known as Home Economics) and minored in Education. I got a major in the actual classes that I teach, but most Family and Consumer Science teachers often get alternate certification to teach our classes. When you are certified in FACS you can teach close to 15 different classes that all have specific career paths for students and are honestly really fun to teach! 

5) What are the best ways to stay organized?

I teeter between being very organized and not organized what so ever....it's more so organized chaos as I see it, but my students all think my room is very organized. When it comes to my classroom everything has a specific place and I Label EVERYTHING so that we always know where things are or where they go. I also like to use color coding to help me keep all of my many classes organized and keep track of student work. I have a planner that I try to keep updated with my plans, but often times I end of putting things into my phone calendar so that I get reminders. 

Also...I would be LOST without sticky notes...I seriously use them all the time and they help me stay on task & remember what I am supposed to do. 

6) Are the rumors true about how much the after school work affects your personal life?

Yes & No :) Honestly, if you are an organized person and take the time in the summer to plan things out you will not have to worry about so much outside planning during the year. However, a teachers job honestly doesn't stop at the end of the school day. I did work on lesson plans and activities most nights and weekends (but I also had 4 different classes I was teaching). Also, I don't have as much of a personal life as some people...lol...so it didn't affect it do drastically. I think this is where being organized is important and making sure you have things planned ahead of time. I think you have to remember what you can control, and the amount of after school work is definitely something you can have the ability to control, so be aware of that and know when you need a break. 

7) Do you have to deal with all the gossip and drama as a secondary school teacher?

Yes, but again, you get to control what you surround yourself with. The negativity, gossip, and drama are always a part of any school atmosphere, but you don't have to be a part of it. Thankfully my classroom is in a hallway at the back of the school so I honestly don't come into contact with a lot of teachers outside of my team every day, plus I never go to the teachers lounge. I am a pretty positive person and I like staying upbeat about things, so I never like putting myself in a position to be surrounded by negativity. 

9) How is it being an introvert and a teacher with kids who have a lot of energy?

It is definitely draining! At the end of every day I am always drained and exhausted and usually come home and rest for 1-2 hours. So yes, being an introvert teacher around energy filled kids can be crazy at times, but it also is amazing. As an introvert we have the ability to sense things in others that not everyone can see, so I am always able to tell things about my students such as their mood, their personality, and my favorite...their potential! While being a teacher puts me in an environment that triggers my weaknesses as an introvert every day, it also allows me to draw upon the strengths of my personality & I truly think that Introverts have superpowers as teachers! 

Do you have more questions about teaching? Leave them in the comments below! 

- Madison

Thoughts On My First Week of Teaching

Thoughts On My First Week of Teaching

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Dress: Thrifted (Vintage) | Shoes: Thrifted | Purse: c/o Gamiss | Earrings: Target

Well, I survived my first week of school as a teacher!!! To be honest I don't think it really hit me till Tuesday, then Wednesday I hit a wall of tiredness and Friday was officially the shortest day ever! Needless to say, my first week in the classroom as a teacher was nothing like I expected it to be and everything I hoped it would be:)

For two weeks I had been counting down the days till the first day of school when I would finally get to meet my students, and the Thursday before the first day (when I got my class rosters) it all started to get a little more real because I could put names to my classes. 

The first day seemed like a whirlwind! All my class periods went by so fast and it was all I could do to take in all the many faces, names, personalities, and abilities that walked through my door. After Monday I got into more of a routine as I got used to the daily schedule and slowly got to know each class better and each student more specifically. 

Within our school district we are always encouraged to take the first week to build relationships, so my first week of teaching was spent getting to know my students, doing icebreakers, practicing teamwork, and getting to know different aspects of my students and each one of my classes. 

What I learned and realized:

I've always heard teachers say that when you start teaching you will be the tiredest you have ever been, and apart from many other things, I can definitely agree that is true! While I might wake up at 4:45 am every morning its not necessarily the early mornings that get me (I have become more of a morning person), but rather the busy schedule and 24/7 energy! My personality and personality weaknesses as an Introvert have definitely been challenged since starting my job and I think it is more so my "Introverted" personality that causes me to feel EXHAUSTED when I get home every day....it's not that I am necessarily tired, but more so that I feel drained (which is understandable considering the environment that I work in). But I've heard it gets better so here's to pressing forward! 

I've never drank this much coffee every day (well except for when I was student teaching). I now have two cups of coffee before 7:20 am every morning and some days make another cup around 10:00 am with the Keurig I have in my classroom:)

I don't think I have ever talked this much in my life!!! I went from talking maybe 2 hours total a day to talking close to 6 hours every day... that has been something to get used to. I don't mind talking in front of my classes, in fact I become a completely different person when placed in a teaching role (very animated and loud) and I haven't actually felt myself start to shrink into my "Introvert Shell" while teaching (now when I am with other co-workers that can be a different story). 

Building relationships with your students is soooo important! While I have definitely only skimmed the surface of each of my students personalities, I can see, going into the second week, just how vital everything I did the first week was in creating the class atmospheres that exist currently. I also love that I had my students create their own class values, because they have actually started to keep each other accountable to behaving well in class, so I am curious to see how that continues to go:) 

High Schoolers are awesome, crazy, & at times a mystery but I love the variety of personalities I have in my class every day and the variety of students ranging from athletes, band members, color guard, student council and more! 

I can without a doubt say that my first week of teaching was probably one of the most CHALLENGING things I have done in my life (even more than my RA job in college), probably because it's just me & my students and I am in charge and the go to person.  However, despite all of the craziness and at times overwhelming "to do" list it has been amazing! At times it still seems like a dream and at other times it seems like I am simply doing what I was always meant to do, but whatever my daily feeling I can't wait to see what else this adventure has in store!

Outfit Details: 

So this isn't an outfit that I taught in, but a fun summer outfit a wore a few weeks back. I picked up this dress at the thrift store because it reminded me of Jessica Day from New Girl, which considering she is a teacher, and at times an unconventional one at that I can't help but look to her for "teacher style" inspiration:) 

- Madison

Unlikely Connections

Unlikely Connections

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Do you ever look back on seasons of your life and people you met there thinking "there is no way we would have ever met, gotten to know each other or have ever been friends if it hadn't been for ________" ? 

As an Introvert (not that I am making excuses, it is just a fact of my personality) it is often hard for us to make connections with other people, to get to know them, grow together in a common goal, and have healthy comradery. This is often the case because we don't willingly put ourselves in public or group situations that warrant us opening up, getting to know strangers with similar interests, and grow together with like minded people who all encourage each other. 

Throughout my life I have never stretched myself to be in settings with lots of people, mainly because I don't like large groups or new things....unless there is no getting out of something and it is required. When that is that case I might enter into the situation apprehensive, slightly negative minded, and might not think I will grow or come out better for it. However, sometimes life (and God) has a way of surprising me and showing me that there is more to who I am and more to people when I let myself get to know them and open up about something I am passionate about. 

As many of you know, I majored in Family and Consumer Science, but my minor was in Education (I am starting my first year of teaching in the fall). However, if you are not familiar with how many University Education programs work, you often go through a semester or more of education classes before starting your student teaching (at least that was the case at my University). 

Every university is different when it comes to how they present classes, but when I took all of my main education classes it was during the spring of 2017 and it was called Methods. During this time I took I think 3-4 different education classes taught by two teachers (one a doctor and one a professor) in a classroom at a high school (where we completed field experience) along with about 15 other education students. We met two days a week for 4 hours. That might not seem like much, but after you get to the High school at 7:00 am two days a week and have field experience until about 12:30 and then meet with 15 other people for 4 hours it's hard not to get close with those people. 

Going into Methods I had no clue what to expect, and I most certainly didn't know what to expect in regards to a classroom of strangers who wanted to become teachers. However, throughout those spring months we didn't just learn how to be amazing teachers, but we talked about what we saw in classrooms, our highs, our lows, our challenges, our dreams, taught lessons to our peers, worked on group projects, went to seminars, ate lunch together, you name it! 

I remember our two teachers (the Doctor and Professor, both of whom impacted me greatly themselves, as talked about here) telling us that the people around us (taking methods) were the only people who would know exactly what we were going through, and would go through in the future, therefore making them very important in our life. I can't tell you how that spring changed my perspective of Interpersonal Relationships and being open to getting to know new people. We shared many jokes and funny stories in that class, we celebrated with each other when great things happened, we carpooled places, met up for lunch, it was crazy (in my mind) but amazing! Getting to know the group of people in that classroom two days a week helped me grow as a person! I learned to be confident in myself around people, to start conversations, encourage others, get to know what made each of them unique, and look to them for advice, critique, and encouragement.

The crazy thing is that I think for the first time in my life I was in a situation where my "peers" noticed me.......I know that sounds weird, but so often I have a tendency to fade into the background, wishing to be invisible rather than seen (sometimes it is my doing and sometimes it is others), but in that class I was seen and people openly chose to get to know me as a person and future teacher. The funniest thing is that because the class was focused on something I was passionate about I was actually SUPER talkative and interactive (shocker, I know)!! One day one of the guys even looked at me and asked "are you doing okay today, because you seem quiet, not like the typical Madison." I had to laugh at his statement because most of the people in the class didn't know me as a quiet introvert, and I looked at him with a laugh and said "This is actually the typical Madison, you just don't see it in class often." 

Those group of fellow Education students and future teachers became so special to me during that spring semester, which was my next to last semester of college. The cool thing is that after our semester and class ended, because of the connections we made most of us stayed in contact. Many of us follow each other on Facebook, keeping up to date with each others lives, and even the next semester when we had to go to meetings and seminars for student teaching we would always make a point to grab lunch together (it was like a big family reunion). I never in my life thought I would meet a large group of people I could be comfortable with, get to know on a mature level, converse with, laugh at, eat lunch with, and know that they understood what you were going through because you had all been there and knew what the other experienced. We may not all be Best Friends, but that spring taught me that people have the capacity for being more than you think. We all have the ability to connect with strangers we never thought we had anything in common with and create bonds that could last forever. 

So I challenge you, whether it is willingly putting yourself into a situation that is new and maybe uncomfortable or entering into something that you don't have a choice about, going into it with an open mind because you never know how much you could grow, how much you could learn from others or the relationships and unlikely connections that could be created there. 

- Madison

Tackling Interview Anxiety

Tackling Interview Anxiety

Friday, June 15, 2018

Dress: Thrifted (Talbots) | Shoes: Thrifted (Michal Kors) | Purse: Thrifted | Scarf: Thrifted 

At this point I don't consider myself to be an expert at Interviews by any way shape or form, but by now I have gone through my fair share of Interviews from college to now (landing my job for the fall) and have picked up some valuable lessons along the way. 

Let's start out with my first "real" interview I ever had, which would be the panel interview I went through in getting my RA job in college. While I had worked two other jobs before college those were for people who already know me so there wasn't a real interview process. I remember going into the interview for the RA position and thinking to myself "This is my first real interview" and to be honest I didn't know what to expect at all! However, I had been prepped by another RA with possible interview questions I could be asked so I was able to think of my responses to possible questions that could come up during the interview. You would think that I would have completely failed my first "official" interview but if I am being perfectly honest it went so much better than I was expecting....I mean I got the job so evidently I did alright:)

Flash forward to last fall when I was in the midst of doing student teaching and had to complete a "mock interview." At first I hated the idea that we had to get a principal or AP at our school to do a "mock interview" with us, but in the long run that experience greatly prepared me for the various interviews I had this past spring. In doing the mock interview I had a list of questions that I knew would be asked and was able to think through and prepare answers for them, so nothing ask was unknown. However, this greatly helped me to freely and confidently answer questions without worrying how I would answer and gave me a feel for how to sit, act, and carry myself during such an important process. 

After my student teaching was over and I graduated I then entered into a whole new season of figuring out my future, attending job fairs, looking for job postings/openings, and going through interviews. The whole process seemed daunting and overwhelming at first......job fairs are not an Introverts cup of tea, but it turned out to not be nearly as bad as I thought. While I attended a few different job fairs, there was only one that really scored me some opportunities (and ended up landing my my job for the fall). The day of that big job fair I actually did two interviews with the school that I will be working for in the fall. What you might not know about job fairs is that at some you might just drop off your resume and give your name and others you will actually go through a mini interview at the districts/organizations table so that they can evaluate you as a candidate (always be prepared for questions). 

Thus, the day of that BIG job fair I went through two interview processes and was also scheduled to be interviewed by one of the AP's but their schedule got busy so I went and did my interview the next week. After that interview I also had an interview with the high school I student taught at for a position that was going to be coming available. 

While at the beginning of this year the though of Interviews would have probably scared and overwhelmed me, I learned so much through the process, gained valuable experience, and learned so much about myself. 

Interviews can be overwhelming and lead to so much anxiety, however I learned many valuable lessons along the way and thought I would share them with you all!

• Always Be Yourself - I can't tell you how important this is! This goes for how you carry yourself, how you talk, what you say, and even how you dress! I remember getting ready for the Job fair and interviews and always thinking back to what so many professors had told me about "professional dress" in it being neutral, tailored, and businesy.....quite honestly "business dress" has always been boring to me because it has no personality. With that I infused my own personality into the "Business appropriate" dress I wore to the job fairs and interviews and it always gave me so much more confidence! To the BIG job fair (where I landed my main interview) I wore a 60's green and yellow floral print shift dress (made from a sheet) over a long sleeve, high neck vintage button up blouse and yellow heels:) To my 3rd interview with the school I wore fitted gingham pants, a lavender sweater set, and black suede block heels. To the Interview I had at the school I student taught at in the fall I wore a yellow dress (pictured in this post) and nude block heels. Being myself has always made me the most confident, and that to me comes from dressing as me:) This is my #1 tip for overcoming interview anxiety!
• Always Be Comfortable - This specifically has to do with what you wear! Don't wear a fitted dress that you will be worried about riding up when you sit down and don't wear tall heels that will hurt your feet. You need to put something on that you won't worry about until you are finished, so if flats will be more comfortable wear them! 
• Practice Questions Beforehand - Whether you are interviewing for a teaching position like me, or another position in a field that you have qualifications in, you can always find possible interview questions. Familiarizing yourself with possible questions beforehand helps you to be prepared for questions that could be asked so that you don't always have to think about them on the spot. Write down the questions and your answers to them, say them to yourself, or even have someone interview you. I seriously interviewed myself all the way to the BIG job fair.....no joke! Because I was prepared for the questions they asked me, I was able to answer them confidently and thoroughly during my interviews which took the stress out of thinking on the spot. 
• Fake It Till You Make It - Okay, so that sounds weird, but here's the thing, sometimes you might not have prepared for a question that is asked of you and that is okay! You can either say you would have to think about it, because you honestly don't know what you would do in that situation, or you can let your brilliant brain take over and answer the question for you:) When I was in my second official interview I was asked a question about leveling up, personalized, learning and how I would keep students on task. I hadn't been asked this question before and had no real experience with it, but in the moment I had ideas come to mind and I started listing off all of these methods I would use and accountability procedures I would implement in my classroom....it sounded awesome and apparently the content area coordinator thought so too because he said "Wow, you have though about that a lot!"
• Always Be Honest - Remember the story above, where I started rattling off an answer that I hadn't prepared for or ever been asked and the content area coordinator made the comment that I must have thought a LOT about it, well turns out after he said that I admitted "Honestly I just came up with that right now!" Not many people would probably admit to the fact that they hadn't actually "put a lot of thought into it", but I guess in that moment admitting the truth seemed right. Thankfully the coordinator thought so too because he said "Honest, I like it." I think honestly is so important in an interview. If you don't know that answer to something, admit it, but also follow it up with saying you will find the answer. Or, if you answer a question on the spot and get a comment, be honest about it:) If you can't be honest you are not being true to yourself. 
• Believe In Yourself - If you can't believe in your potential you will never survive an interview or land the job! In order to have the people interviewing you believe in you, you first have to believe in yourself, your abilities, qualifications, and potential. Also having others support and believe in you helps you believe in yourself! Every time I would head out the door to a job fair or interview my mom would always tell me "You've got this" and "You are perfect for this job!" That always helped me to regain my belief in my abilities and go into an interview confident that I was a good fit. 
• Make Eye Contact With Your Interviewers - I know, this is awkward and probably seems super hard, but it isn't as bad as it seems. So many people go into interviews and look at their hands or avoid eye contact with the people asking them questions.....odds are they won't get the job! You have to pretend they are your best friends and you are having an important conversation with them. Make eye contact while they ask you questions and then make eye contact with everyone while you are answering.....it's not as bad as it seems and it makes you look super professional and odds are could easily land you the job (after while you won't even know you are doing it)!
• Use Real Life Experiences - Drawing upon real life experiences is so important in an interview because it shows the interviewer or panel that you have experience and worked through something similar in the past. Sometimes they might specifically ask you about your experience and other times it doesn't hurt to bring up examples of you using a specific technique or completing something relating to the question. Using examples from real life show that you know what you are talking about. 
• It's Not As Scary As It Seems - Odds are the interview will go better than you think (especially if you prepare). The people interviewing you have been in your shoes, they know how nerve wracking it can be, so just relax and be yourself. Take deep breaths, don't be afraid to ask for clarification on a question, smile, make eye contact, and be confident! 
• Shake Hands At The End & Thank Them - It is always a good professional procedure to shake hands when you first meet the person interviewing you, but always shake their hands at the end and thank them for your time. This shows you care not only about the interview process and job but also about those taking the time to talk with you. 
• TREAT YOURSELF! - Last but not least, make sure to treat yourself afterwards! This has kind of become a tradition in our family of going to get icecream or coffee after a big test, interview, etc. and you better believe I treated myself after those interview:) You deserve a treat and something to look forward to! 

- Madison 

Life Update & Bursts of Yellow

Life Update & Bursts of Yellow

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Skirt: Forever 21 | Shirt: Thrifted (H&M) | Shoes: Forever 21 | Purse: Everly Oak | Earrings: XXI

Photography by Jana Kay Photography 

First....can we talk about how amazing the color YELLOW is! I seriously can't get enough of yellow this spring, and this skirt and pair of heels from Forever 21 are to die for:) This look has such colorful spring vibes and I love the setting that I got to shoot this look in.

Okay, but you are probably really wondering....."what is your big life update?" Well.....I GOT A JOB!!! Like a real job....like an adult job....the biggest job I have ever had in my life.....IT'S CRAZY AND ALSO SO EXCITING!

I have shared a LOT about my teaching journey on the blog, but up until now it has just been building, without any knowledge of what the future might hold for me. Honestly this past spring has been the most challenging time of my life since college! Like, student teaching was challenging, but at that time all I was thinking about was teaching lessons every day, I wasn't even thinking about the future. Then came spring when OH MY GOSH I have to pass 2 tests to get certified and attend job fairs and do interviews......talk about MAJOR anxiety and stress.....I felt like I was living in a haze for 3 months (it didn't help that I failed one of my tests two times). However, with every storm comes a rainbow at the end, and that glimmer is the budding green valley I am standing in right now....which honestly still seems like a dream.

I think this crazy journey over these past few months is what I needed to refocus my life and refocus my "focus" on God and his plan for my life. Honestly, I knew that even if I didn't get a teaching job I had lots of other options, but teaching was something I wanted to try and pursue. However, with that comes looking for openings, making connections, attending job fairs, talking to schools, going through interviews, and then hitting submit and crossing your fingers that something works out.

Truthfully, the whole job search/job fair/interview process was crazy and hard at times, but I also learned so much through it and grew so much in my confidence (I can totally sell myself as a teacher). All in all, I was blessed to make some amazing contacts while student teaching and come to know some "high power" people in the school district that I not only student taught in, but also wanted to teach in one day.....which brings us to now.

After attending a big job fair, I scored an interview with my TOP school (like a brand new High School I have been wanting to teach at since last fall) and the interview process was so amazing, not to mention that I had a good feeling about it. However, in the midst of that I was still trying to pass my last certification test, so no school could technically consider me for the position until I passed my test....talk about PRESSURE! THANKFULLY I passed my test this last time I went to take it (3rd times the charm) and things could finally start to fall into place. During this whole time however, I also was contacted by the high school I student taught at (and LOVED) and was told that my mentor teacher got a new job and her position would be opening up (a position in which I had already taught all the classes and was familiar with). You can imagine how torn I was in this month long process of having two amazing job opportunities, but also having the unknown of still needing to pass my test.

Nevertheless, I think the trying times refine who we are and teach us a LOT! After passing my test I notified the two schools that had positions I was interested in (and that I had interviewed for) letting them know I was "official". Within a week I received a phone call from my TOP school (the new High School) and was offered a Family and Consumer Science position. Talk about excitement! While I loved the idea of getting my mentor teachers job at the High School I had come to love, I also felt strongly that I was meant to go to this new High School (it has only been open a year) and be a part of building up the Family and Consumer Science program, entering onto a new adventure in which I get to pave my own way instead of walk in the footprints of someone else who has gone before me....so with that I accepted and now have a job (starting in August)!!!

So what does that job entail exactly? Well if you are not familiar with Family and Consumer Science (not sure I have talked about it much on the blog), it is basically your "home economics" classes so basically all my hobbies as classes! It is also super broad, so technically there are over 10 classes I am certified to teach. With that, FACS teachers typically have 2-5 preps when it comes to the classes they teach, so for my job starting in August I will have 4ish classes I will be teaching which are:

Principals of Education
Interpersonal Studies
Principals of Human Services (PHS)
&
Interior Design I / Interior Design II

So my schedule for the fall is going to be packed, and this summer is going to be filled with lesson planning and working out all the details for my classes.....its both daunting and exciting! I am honestly super lucky to get to teach the classes above, because three of them are classes I taught during student teaching (and fell in love with) so I am beyond excited to share my passion for those subject with my students. I get to teach them about education, what it means to be a teacher, relationships, personalities, communication, nutrition, life skills, family relationships, principals of design, floor plans, housing styles, and the list goes on and on!

I hope to share more with you all about what I learned during my Interview processes, what my school year will look like, more about the classes I teach, and when Fall hits, snippets into my life as a REAL LIFE TEACHER!!! IT STILL DOESN'T SEEM REAL!!! I have legit started having dreams about teaching.....so apparently my mind knows it's real:)

It's crazy to think the past 3.5 years of college, student teaching, and subbing have lead up to this point and that all of the details fell into place so seamlessly, but then again it isn't crazy because once again it just goes to show God's divine plan in my life and his faithfulness through the highs and lows!

-Madison

Teacher Style: Redefining Business Dress

Teacher Style: Redefining Business Dress

Monday, May 14, 2018

Top: Forever 21 | Pants: Shein | Shoes: Shoe Carnival | Bag: Target | Earrings: Forever 21 

Who likes business dress? When it comes to dressing "professional" it can be one of the most challenging things to figure out, especially when you have a style of your own! I remember hearing in all of the business/professional classes I took in college that business dress needed to stay simple and professional......this usually meant black, white, and grey.....boring right? I always hated the idea of only 2-3 drab colors, ugly business pants, and unflattering blazers, so when it came time to attend job fairs and go to interviews I decided that the typical "business dress" wasn't for me. With that, I decided to put together a post to share how you can embrace business dress without loosing personality and style.
I have included some of my favorite styles and pieces below, but when it comes to professional "business dress" there are six rules I like to stick to:

1. Utilize A Print: I always try to go with polka dots or a floral. I have worn a floral dress over a button up to an interview and a polka dot skirt and sweater to another. Patterns feel more fun. 
2. Pick A Color: I am not saying wear pink head to toe, but instead of a boring neutral color pick a shade that describes you! I wore a sunshine yellow dress to one of my interviews and I loved it:)
3. Novelty Accessory: If I stick with a more simple outfit I like to add an accessory or piece of jewelry that still have personality, like a fun broach or statement necklace. 
4. Fun But Comfortable Shoes: Shoes are vital to overall comfort, but they also can pull an outfit together. I like to pick something comfortable but also stylish and full of personality. I have worn yellow sandal block heels and a pair of nude block pumps to another. 
5. All In The Details: Sometimes the basics are good, but I like to take a unique approach to basic staples by finding pieces that have unique details (like this white ruffle button up in this post).
6. When in Doubt LAYER: I love to take a printed sundress and layer it over a button up shirt or tie front blouse or even top off a printed dress with a colored sweater. 

At the end of the day be yourself. Fashion is my favorite way of self expression and when it comes to professional dress, what better way to be yourself than with your style! 

How do you feel about business dress?

-Madison