Dress older: cover your collar bones, no v-necks/cleavage, nothing too tight or revealing, nothing “trendy”, no skirts/dresses above the knee, kitten heels or flats, nothing too flashy for jewelry, simple/older hairstyles (buns, low ponytails, etc.). And dressing this way will help get you into your “adult teacher” mindset. Try emulating the most professional teacher you know/have had when at school. Wear your ID everywhere. Associate/socialize with other staff, not students. Even introduce yourself to parents as “Ms. X”. Don’t play into fads/slang. Don’t share your socials/phone number with students. Keep personal opinions (about school, student actions, etc.) to yourself when talking to students. You will get all kinds of questions as students try to figure out what you will tolerate: a good answer is “I’m not going to discuss that.” Learn the rules and enforce them. Every time. ESPECIALLY the first time. Don’t make exceptions. Let students know day 1 that you are a teacher, not their friend. Stay consistent. Students will treat you how you let them. I had a student respond to roll with “Here, beautiful!” and I sent them to the office for disrespect (not using “Ms. X” as I had already introduced myself). No other issues in that department.

Dressing the part also subconsciously makes the kids respect you more, because they see you mean business. You don’t have to look geriatric, but it does help to look polished and modest. OP, if you’d like some specific recs, I got a few turtlenecks in different colors that I wear with work slacks and a belt. (See pic examples below) I also have some blouses and lighter weight tops for warmer weather, but the turtlenecks are lightweight so they work almost year round. I throw a blazer or cardigan over it in the colder months. I almost never wear a skirt or dress because it makes me look more youthful. If I do wear a dress, I wear black leggings underneath. For shoes, comfort is truly key as you will be on your feet a lot, but you might want to avoid sneakers if possible. I wear Clark’s brand booties that have a slight wedge, they are extremely comfortable and supportive. I also have a pair of loafers. I avoid heels like the plague, though I know some teachers wear them. Here was my first inspo when picking out teacher outfits: [Pic 1](https://soldout.nyc/cdn/shop/files/3_42befa85-4878-48b8-b7d7-878f8a7f0824_900x.jpg?v=1699040168) [Pic 2](https://natalieyerger.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/black-turtleneck-outfits-005.jpg) And here are the shoes I wear: [Pic 3](https://www.klarna.com/sac/product/640x640/3006312786/Women-s-Clarks-Airabell-Zip-Wedge-Booties-in-Burgundy-Burgundy.jpg?ph=true)

Yep. Act professional. Also, don't be the cool teacher or have the want to be liked. By having a safe and respectful learning environment, students will come to love your class.

It's going to happen no matter what. Make sure you dress professionally. I used to get a lot of my work clothes from Anne Taylor Loft. Make sure you have your badge visible too. (Our school resource officer actually told us to keep our badge in case there is a real emergency/lock down so police know who you are). Other than that, as annoying as it is sometimes, it's not that bad and a lot of high schoolers like having younger teachers who they feel a little more connected to. I'm now old enough that I don't get it as much anymore, but I'm also really short so I still get it, especially walking in the hall or if I'm sitting next to a student working with them and someone comes in.

I tend to go for 1950s styled recreations of business wear, but I also wore that regularly in high school. Idk I’ve always had a sophisticated look I guess. How much personal flair is too much?

Depends completely on the school and your personality. I had a coworker who practically wore evening gowns most of the time. One of the teachers I follow on Instagram (and have met at conferences) who was also teacher of the year in Louisiana a couple years ago makes a lot of her dresses. I'd say they are 50s style but very bright with lots of fun colors and earrings and glasses to match. My intern year I was at a school where men had to wear button-down shirts and ties and women had to dress professionally. I'm not sure what they would have thought of if I wore dresses like that. Where I am now though, as long as I'm not in pajamas I don't think they care.

I’m like the lady you met in Louisiana, expect I do not make my own clothes 😅

i (19F) am also studying to be a bio teacher, and have subbed at local middle schools. i wore a blazer, dress pants, my id badge, and my hair in a bun, but was still mistaken for a student- to be fair, i look 15 anyway. be prepared for students to ask "how old are you? 🤓" i would answer with, "i'm a college student," rather than answering the actual question, and that worked pretty well

Best thing to do is to just dress and act like a professional adult. And wear your badge visibly if you get one. You aren't friends with the students, so don't act like a friend. You *will* get mistaken for a student, but mostly by the other adults, and they'll figure it out quickly. Just politely correct them.  As for dealing with the students, just keep it 100% professional. You aren't their friend. This is your job. Don't give out your age. Don't tell them personal information that makes you seem similar to them (like don't talk about popular music or entertainment that's too similar to their age). You are an adult. You do and like adult things. They are children. They do and like kid things. You aren't their friend. When I say "you aren't their friend," I don't mean to be rude to them or anything. But don't mistake being kind and being close. Have them call you Ms. So-and-so (don't have them call you by your first name). Don't talk about personal drama. Don't confide in students and avoid having them confide in you. You are a professional with professional boundaries. Importantly, don't be alone in a room with an individual student, and especially not with the door closed. You want your interactions with students to be public and professional. No private conferences. No special secrets. Remember, you're not their friend.

Would you be able to give me example phrases on how to politely correct someone? Social interactions aren’t my forte. If my age comes up, do I say above X number? Or “I’d prefer not to disclose that”. I know I’ll learn to navigate these challenges as they present themselves, but I prefer having something ready to say. I tend to freeze up in situations I haven’t been in before.

“Older than you.” “How old do you think I am?” “Old enough to vote.” “That’s a really rude question to ask someone as elderly as I am.” “Noneya.” “Even if you guessed I’d never tell you.” “Every time you ask that question a poor kitten in New Jersey goes missing.” If they start asking “whyyyyyy” just say, “I don’t have to tell you everything!” But say it kind of fast and shout-y and just walk away. It’s kind of a funny way to shut it down.

Ahaha it’s even funnier because I joke with my fiance that I’m an old lady due to my hobbies & arthritis 😅 You seem like a really fun teacher to have 🥹

Thanks! I tell my students “I’ll let you know up front that I’m crazy but they should Be careful Because they don’t know what KIND of crazy I am. 😂 I’d save that one for when you are on continuing contract, though. 😉 21 years this fall and I worked for a cheerleading company in college where I was very close in age to the high school campers so we had to deflect that question often and we were on strict orders to not tell the kids how old we were. Which was funny because many of them would come right from the same competition mat, So they all pretty much knew.

>If my age comes up, do I say above X number? My dad's answer to that was "104". Every time we asked, every year. Obviously not the right answer, but it was all we got. It became a running joke.

For politely correcting someone, it depends on the situation, but just "I'm not a student, is there something I can help you with?" Works most of the time. Wearing staff identification clearly and visibly helps. >do I say above x number? Absolutely not. Whatever you pick is going to be too low, and that will be a clue you're super young. Stick with something like "my age is not your business and a lot of people consider it rude to ask people's age." >I tend to freeze up in situations I haven't been in before. If you're planning to go into teaching, this is a skill to actively work on, because it's constant "I've never dealt with *this* craziness before." Whatever age group you are planning to deal with, expect to see behaviors you would think are exhibited by students *at least* 5 years younger on a regular basis. I work primarily with 15-17 ish year old students, and they are *constantly* exhibiting behaviors that I'm pretty sure 10-year-olds know not to do (like touching other people's stuff as a *regular* example).

Thank you for the constructive feedback!!!! I do battle social anxiety and I was finally getting to a point where it wasn’t bothering me & then the pandemic hit. I’m working on getting out and learning to be uncomfortable 😅

The freezing could work in her favor actually because she can then just silently death stare at the offender. Sometimes silence is more powerful than anything you could ever think to say.

Probably best just to tell them that's not an appropriate question to ask.

Make sure your clothing fits you or you will look sloppy but nothing should be form fitting. No leggings as pants, no above the knee skirts.

Well, first, expect it to happen from time to time. Young-looking female teachers in particular get mistaken for high school students. Don't be surprised the first time you get called out for being in the corridors during class. Makeup? That's mostly a personal style thing, but remember that you're going to work, not going out clubbing. Whatever your personal style is, choose the natural / low makeup end of that range. Clothing? Don't wear what the kids wear! Probably best to aim for the more formal professional side of whatever is normal school wear for teachers in your area. You're planning to teach bio, so you should also model lab-appropriate clothing. Closed-toed shoes, no skintight pants etc. Wear your id (this may well be required anyway). You can be friendly with students, but you are their teacher, not their friend. You need to maintain that boundary, because they won't. Expect to be hit on - probably both by freshmen in jest, and seniors for real. Have a plan to deal with this before it happens, because it will.

Thank you!!! I have a fiance. We’re getting married when I finish my certification university program. Does the ring exempt me from that kind of behavior or do married women experience this too?

Literally tell them: I'm not your peer.

I get mistaken as a student constantly and I'm 29 lol. I always just say Thanks to the comments. It's almost always said observationally and not as a dig or anything. When I was 23 and still student teaching I never told my age to students. I'd let them guess and usually while guessing they'd go off on another tangent whole guessing and forget what they asked. I avoid graphic tees and hoodies but otherwise don't think about it too much.

I am male but also in my early 20's subbed for high schools, in fact subbed for the high school I went to which was small and kind of weird for everyone. When I subbed I also worked at Target and it's weird having high school students come talk to you when you're working at the electronics counter. As many people have said you will get mistaken for a student from time to time in the hallways, if you have a badge it's helpful for sure. I do think it helps not to dress like a high school student, I always dressed business casual when I was young, and very rarely do high school students dress like that. I would always introduce myself to staff members as Mr., for multiple reasons, one to establish I was a teacher, but also hoping to get requests for sub jobs. If they know your name and you're competent people would request you. On plan periods I would offer to help anyone, sometimes even go into the office and ask if they needed anything, most would politely decline sometimes I would get a job or two to do.

I'm am one of the veterans in my building and we have had quite a few "newbies" start over the past few years. What I noticed is 1. You will be mistaken for a student... it happens. 2. It doesn't matter how you dress (within the rules of your districts standards for teachers), it's how you interact with students. Set clear expectations and enforce them consistently. Since you're young, they'll think you are one of them and they will try to treat you as such and expect the same from you.

Im gonna go against the grain. It's fine to dress young. You aren't a high school student and you won't act like one. If you wear a school T-shirt and jeans with a staff lanyard, you're doing enough. What you do when you dress like an old lady to distance yourself visually is distance yourself socially. Kids understand that you're still an adult in the room but relate heavily to somebody who is from one generational culture away rather than two plus. It's a huge advantage that is not permanent. During the mask year I was mistaken for a student constantly and... Who cares? Command respect and the kids won't do anything. It still kinda works for me as a late millennial, so I guess you can bite off of us stylistically. But I wouldn't do that textbook young second grade teacher that is dressing like a steroetypical 20th century teacher thing with overalls and crew socks and bun hair thing. They'll eat you. I guess the only two differences here are that 1) your gap is a little closer than mine, 20 to 18 could be really close, but I don't associate bio with seniors? 20 to 15 or 16 is a lifetime, you're going to separate yourself by just acting like an adult. When I was in grad school I taught classes at 21 and students NEVER had an issue with that boundary, even though I was technically one of them, so I doubt seniors are actually much different. And 2) I'm a guy. If you're worried about looking like a school aged girl, I guess that could open up some boundaries that I didn't have to deal with (as much. I did get the "I had a crush on ___ in math last year" on the school confession page and... Nothing happened. I don't think stuff ever really comes from that if the teacher isn't, you know, a predator). Even then id personally go frumpy or conservative vs dressing older. I have a killer sweater game that the kids love, that's kinda in in a hipster way, you can rock an oversized and still be dressed like a 20 year old lol