Problem with getting kids to tuck their shirts in

[lurk]

I teach highschool kids, at the moment im having a big problem with the uniform policy.I can't seem to get them to tuck their shirts in. 2 seconds after i ask them, it's out again. It's beginning to get very irritating and these teens are looking very messy.Do you have any suggestions?

[MissTeach]

It is a pain! I hate that part of our dress code, but I understand why we have it. Some of our teachers have about 50 referrals already made out and all they have to do is put in the student's name and the date. Some of them already have repeat offender's names on the referrals. I have told the my students that they have to spend lunch with me if I see their shirt tail out. I've only had one spend lunch with me this year. That seems to be effective.

[Boxcar]

What types of shirts do your students have to wear? Some shirts do have shorter torsos and won't stay inside the waistband of pants... I doubt it is that, but it could possibly be. I've always had issues with dressy shirts - it is rare I find one I'm comfortable in.

[lurk]

the shirts that they wear are definitely long enough and a suitable material to keep tucked in. They just refuse to.

[Boxcar]

Well, one funny solution is packing tape. Depending on the relationship and population, your studnets might see it as amusing. You offer them the tape to help them keep the shirt tucked in.

[Spectre]

This might not be the response you seek, but I feel compelled to make an observation and then a suggestion.

I have found that, when working with teens, in particular, it is wise to choose your battles wisely.

Before this year, I spent two years in an inner city school, where the administration had us focus on things like shirts being tucked in. One boy got suspended for 5 days because he simply refused to do it.

Meantime, our test scores sucked, kids were fighting left and right, teachers (one of them, myself) were getting assaulted and little to nothing was done about any of that...but we made sure they had their shirts tucked in.

Is it worth spending that much time and energy in fighting that battle??? :)

Just my perspective.

[Boxcar]

You have a really good point. I know that I would have fought that dress code rule as a teen. Picking the right battle is important.

[Hermione]

We don't have a uniform policy, so I can't really relate. I do, however, spend my day making sure jeans don't have rips that show their underwear, that the jeans are pulled up so that I can't see underwear, and making sure they aren't chewing gum. We don't get paid enough! lol

[Brit]

I know YOU can't do this, but I remember one guy's shirt hanging out during an assembly, and the kid behind him tacked it to the underside of the wooden bench. It was awesome....

[MissTeach]

I understand about 'picking your battles' and I agree that sometimes the dress code isn't realistic. However, I enforce the rules I am told to enforce. That is why I pick the least time consuming method I can and still enforce the rule.

[Boxcar]

WHat about giving the kids extra credit for following the dress code in your class? If they see a benefit, maybe they will be more inclined to obey it. It could something as little as one point a day or one homework pass per quarter if they are good every day in that quarter.

[lurk]

I know a few people mentioned "choosing my battles" although I'm told that the shirt untucked has to be particularly paid attention to at the moment.

The extra credit is a good idea.

[teacher5]

Don't worry. They won't go the prom witih their shirt tails hanging out. This battle is not worth all the infraction slips you need to write up because there is no upper administrative or parent support to enforce it.

[Fransisca]

Why do they have to tuck their shirt in?
--> just want to make sure before I write something else

[seastarmath]

Maybe they need to pull their pants up so that the shirts will stay tucked in. I know I get a big kick out of watching the kids run for the bus. They wear their pants so low that they have to run like ducks so that they won't be embarassed (pun intended) before they get to their destination.

Do most of you work in a school that has a uniform? Do public schools in Canada have uniforms?

[Boxcar]

I think it is hilarious to watch them waddle!!!

[Brit]

there's a game we used to play in the halls in highschool, where you'd try to clip a clothespin onto someone's clothes when they weren't looking. If you got pinned, you had to pass it on. tucking in shirttails would definitely keep them from getting pinned too often...

[lurk]

The reason behind tucking in shirts isn't really for safety, it's more the presentation of the school and students.

Yes, they wear a uniform to school.

[BandTeach]

I know that at our school there are 2 reasons. The first is for just presentation, but the 2nd is because of the fact that students can carry weapons in their waistbands. I know that all the teachers in our county have to watch a video on how many weapons a student can hide under an un-tucked shirt.

Its hard to enforce this dress code policy at our school because they are allowed to wear sweatshirts and jackets all day...so we have 90 percent of our students wearing sweatshirts in 95 degree weather....

I mention it to students when its obvious. Usually the first time I ask them I will do it privately or just quietly, but then if I see it still out later in class, I usually announce it in front of the class. Middle school students are very self conscious so it usually works.

[lurk]

Usually I just end up asking again and again and again , you get the point, and not really doing much about it