California Educator

August / September 2018

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E N G L I S H T E A C H E R at First Avenue Middle School, Arcadia Teach- ers Association. Her vlog, Too Cool for Middle School, can be viewed at youtube.com/toocoolformiddleschoolblog, or visit her on Insta- gram @toocoolformiddleschool. Teachers can be fashionable, even on a budget, says Forbes, who enjoys shopping at Target, Marshalls and Kohl's. Purchasing from fair trade and sustainable companies — such as Carly Jean Los Angeles, Krochet Kids and Elegantees — is also a priority. Forbes, who starts her fifth year of teaching this fall, believes in having a capsule wardrobe. This means fewer clothing items that cost a bit more — but quality ones that mix and match well. Know- ing she can grab most anything out of her closet and have it look good with most other pieces makes getting ready for work much easier for Forbes, a mother of a 2-year-old. A capsule wardrobe doesn't mean looking the same ever y day, insists Forbes, a petite woman who always looks crisp and put together. "Students notice," she observes. "I had a teacher in middle school who wore the same pants every day. I don't know if they were the exact same pair or he had multiple pairs, but I can still remember students talking about it." She advises educators to be careful about lower necklines and low-waist pants, which may look fine when standing up, but present problems when bending over to help students. "And teachers do a lot of bending," she says. " It's important to wear something that makes you feel good every day, so you can be your happiest, most confident, comfortable self." — Megan Forbes, Arcadia Teachers Association Megan Forbes Long, neutral-colored, flowy, button-down-col- lared shirts and tunics — with tank tops underneath if necessary — provide comfort and freedom of movement. Shirts with buttons to adjust sleeve length allow the same shirt to look both short- and long-sleeved. Topping them with dif- ferent cardigans offers a variety of looks that can dress up any outfit. Bright patterned cardigans are fun, but she has a variety of solids, too. " You may have to wear your school colors, or red for Red Rib- bon Week, and if I don't want to have my whole outfit centered on a par- ticular color, I can wear black pants, a white shirt and the colored cardigan." Her fitted "go-to" pants are black skinny slacks, which go with any shoes — or boots. There's nothing like a "one-step" dress with sleeves to feel comfort- able, she adds. Shorter dresses can be worn with leggings. "I love shoes that are comfortable the whole day. It's important, because teachers are on their feet all day." Her favorite footwear includes the ballet slipper look of Tieks, which are expensive, but extremely comfortable and a "splurge." She also likes Converse tennies. five teacher wardrobe staples Megan Forbes: 32 cta.org Megan Forbes BTS 2018 s p e c i a l i s s u e

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