California Educator

August / September 2018

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T H I R D - G R A D E T E A C H E R at Falcon Ridge Elementary School in Fontana, Eti- wanda Teachers Association. To see her vlog, go to youtube.com and search for SmartieStyle, or check her out on Instagram @smartiestyle. As a student, Robinson did not wear all of her new back-to-school clothes at the beginning of the year. She would spread them out over time. "I felt like once I'd worn all my new clothes during the first few weeks of school, the school year was over," she laughs. Robinson still avoids wearing all her back-to-school items at the beginning of the year. She has an extensive wardrobe, and says she lacks discipline for a capsule wardrobe. Because she teaches young children, the clothing she buys is durable and easy to clean. Elementary teachers tend to go through more clothes. "With younger kids, you're going to get dirty," says Robinson, who has taught vari- ous elementary grade levels during her 13 years in the profession. " You can get glue, paint and grape juice all over you. With really young kids, they may wipe their noses on you. So you don't want to wear anything too fancy." It can be challenging to look both stylish and appropriate, comments Robinson. " You don't want to show too much skin, and the clothes in stores can be revealing. It can also be hard to find jeans that are not distressed [ripped]. In our district, principals do not like fraying or ripped jeans." Another challenge for her: " The popular style is skinny pants, and I don't have a skinny body." Her favorite stores are Old Navy, Target and H&M, but she likes any store that is reasonably priced. When buying shoes, she doesn't go cheap, because she wants to be comfortable. " Remember that you are a professional, and if you want people to perceive you that way, you must dress the part." — La Tawnya Robinson, Etiwanda Teachers Association • Wear colorful shoes to jazz up any outfit. • Experiment to find out what kind of styles work well with your body shape. "Instead of focusing on what's in fashion, I try to focus on what suits me." • Organize a clothing and accessories swap with colleagues at someone's home. Remaining items can be brought to the teachers' lounge for those unable to attend the swap, or donated to charity. • "It's important to wear something that makes you feel good every day, so you can be your happiest, most confident, comfortable self." La Tawnya Robinson fashion advice Megan Forbes: 33 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 018

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