Week 2- Post 2- Taryn

Connie brought up a really good point about "always" being a teacher. This is something that really kind of scares me. Last year, in Melanie's class, we talked about the possibility of going out to dinner with your significant other at a local restaurant and having a glass of wine. Honestly, I didn't see (and still don't see) what the big deal about that would be. Don't get me wrong: in no way, shape or form do I believe that it's okay to go out and get sloshed when a potential student might be present; however, it's a glass of wine-- not 12 vodka shots off of the bartender's belly button.

This is where I get confused about being a teacher. Do we have to look like professionals all of the time? And how does having a glass of wine make you look un-professional? Melanie said last year that we should avoid dressing much differently than we do outside the classroom, but the truth is, I'm not about to teach a bunch of 8th graders wearing a pair of shorts, tank top, and flip flops...I just wouldn't look enough like a teacher "should" look. So what happens when I wear a shirt that exposes my shoulders (whoaaa...we're talkin' shoulders here) in public and when a student or administration member sees me, they think I'm being unprofessional? Do lawyers wear business suits all the time when they're not at work? No...So why should we have to always look like teachers?

Going beyond that, what about our taste in music, our sexual preference, our political views? I don't think that any of these things are issues that should necessarily be announced to our students, but to what extent are we supposed to shield ourselves from them? Like Elisha said, at a rock show, she ran into a teenager that she had previously taught...What would have happened if Elisha was smoking a cigarette? What would have happened if she'd had a beer in her hand? Neither of these things are illegal at her age, but they obviously aren't things that a parent would necessarily want his or her kid to see. Now say the kid tells his parent and his parent calls the school to talk about Elisha's "lack of professionalism." What now? Could she get in trouble for this?

I'm just wondering as to how far we're supposed to change our own lives and preferences for our students. I view being a teacher as a job, but it doesn't necessarily define who I am. I'm no alcoholic, but darn it, I want to be able to have a glass of wine at dinner without feeling like my job is in jeopardy for publicly sipping on some Pinot Grigio. Where do we draw the line?