CAT Tracks for November 3, 2012 TIE ONE ON

Glad you weren't at my house at 2 a.m. this fine Saturday (REALLY!) morning...

...you would have heard some bad words - an uncensored, extended-cut BS being the nicest of the bunch.

I could rant and rave in opposition, but let me be short and not-so-sweet...

...clothes do NOT make the teacher!

I mean... ...if dressing up is what a person (including a teacher) wants to do, I'm fine with it. Hell, I bought a new Sunday-go-to-meeting suit for my appearance at the Illinois Supreme Court...looked aghast at the students who wandered in wearing shorts and t-shirts.

And, therein, lies the message...

...young folks ain't stuck in the '60s, or the flippin' '50s. They ain't impressed with suits and ties. In fact, you may well lose street cred with them if you do.

My students were more responsive to my tux t-shirt (or my TGIF t-shirt) and jeans than with my occasional suit and tie...

...probably feeling that I wasn't some pretentious stuffed shirt, tryin' to act all Principal or Superintendent.

James Gibson can do it and the kids know it's for real...and respect him for it.

Me?

"Wassup with you, Mr. Newell? Did someone die???"

And, another thing...

...to the commentator and his fixation on dressing to impress/respect the President of the United States.

Sir...

...how do you feel when President Barack Obama and Richie Rich Romney go tieless and rolled-up shirt sleeves to address their would-be voters at political rallies?

Do they be disrespecting us???

Or do they be trying to relate to us and have us relate to them???

Just wonderin'...

...one of them "Hmmm..." things.