Any Long Haired Educators Out There?

[marvel-lover]

I apologize if there is already a thread for this. I searched but couldn't find one.

Anyway, I'm in my last year of college, studying to be a special education teacher. This coming semester, which starts next week, has me in moderate/intensive classrooms, 4 days a week. The spring semester has me student teaching (yay!!).

I was wondering if there were any other teachers out there? If so, how do you prefer to wear your hair in the classroom? How do you prevent paint and all sorts of other classroom materials from getting into your hair?

[daywalker]

I'm not sure if her hair qualifies as long in a place like this, but my aunt is a kindergarten teacher with BSL hair. Amazingly, she either leaves it down (!!) or pulls it into a low ponytail. Also she uses a big jaw clip to make a twist updo with the ends sticking out. She's never complained about stuff happening to her hair. When I watched her move about the classroom, she just seemed to be aware of where her hair was and flick it back, if that makes sense. I can't believe the kids didn't pull it or put stuff in it!

[hayheadsbird]

Bun everyday. It's only just waist, but long enough to get in the way when working. Keeps most of the glue and paint out of it...

[Quixii]

I'm working on getting my teaching credential and have taught for a few months in a school, and I just wear my hair however I would normally - which means 95% time up in a bun. I wore it in a ponytail once to shock my students, and they were shocked!

[school of fish]

I teach dance, so on that score I don't really think my experience is applicable - but I have an 11-yr-old with autism who has been in Spec Ed his whole school career, so I can tell you what I've noticed about his teachers' hair

Many of them have kept their hair on the short side. The ones who had longer hair might keep it down to about shoulder length - longer than that and it was usually up in peacock twists and messy buns. I can think of two of his early years teachers with about waist length hair and they would always have a clip or an elastic handy to get whip it up quickly if they needed to.

I'm sure Spec Ed classrooms can take many different shapes, with demands varying widely depending upon class designation, age range of students, specific exceptionalities, all kinds of factors. In my son's classes there have often been kids who need some physical intervention (such as assistance to calm or keeping a child from harming him/herself or others), or even just kids who have trouble understanding personal space and are overly demonstrative or curious. I've observed that the teachers servicing those kids really need to not have hair get in their way - they need to be able to move fast and freely if necessary. For classrooms where students may have fewer sensory or behavioural issues, wearing loose or braided styles might not be such a problem.

I'll be paying attention to this thread - I'm curious to hear what teachers themselves have to say

[floridaorchid]

Bun everyday. It's only just waist, but long enough to get in the way when working. Keeps most of the glue and paint out of it...

I only do extended day - art and cooking, but I agree with bun or a braid every day. The kids at my school aren't too touchy, so I can get a way with having a braid. It's really not all that bad!

[ravenheather]

I am not a special ed teacher, but I would recommend up. My friend had a student cut her hair when she wasn't looking.

[marvel-lover]

Wow! Thank you to everyone that has responded! Buns appear to be the way to go!

In the past, I've kept my hair in a disc bun with a stick, but my concern is that a student may take the stick from my hair.

Schooloffish that's so interesting! Thank you so much for responding. I've noticed a lot of the teachers I have observed seem to have shorter hair as well. I'm just not sure I'm willing to cut my hair short! But I agree, having my hair out of the way so I can respond where I need to go is priority #1 for my classroom hair.

[Ondine11]

Teacher here! My degree is in ECEE (Early Childhood & Elementary Education) which is the same as a B Ed. In the classroom, I wore my hair in a bun, or, in a single French or regular braid. I have worked with one or two teachers who had BCL or longer hair, & unless they're working with more touchy-feely very young kids, or those with special needs, they could leave it down without the kids doing anything to it. In fact, some seemed fascinated & dazzled by it, & they behaved better! Sort of like having Rapunzel as your teacher.

[Krissycats]

I have been a teacher for years. Thank goodness I have never gotten lice at school, but some of my friends have! I often wear it down, but I keep a clip in my room so I can put it up if it is bugging me or if it is hot. I have been wearing it up a lot now, though, just because I've been having fun trying new styles. Kids do like to touch it, though, especially the first graders that I have now. "Ooh, Mrs. H's hair is so soft and fluffy!" Same thing when I wear faux fur, so I don't wear it very often to work. They all want to "pet" me.