Turning Heads

I'm a teacher, a field dominated by females. According to recent data, 74% of teachers in private schools, like me, are female. However, this data included high schools, which typically have many more male teachers. As a matter of fact, at my school (preK-8th grade), there is only 1 male teacher. Also, all but 4 of the teachers are roughly 40 years old or older. I'm the youngest. :)

Teachers get to know kids really well. I spend more time with some kids than their parents do during the day. I take the time to get to know them, and they, in turn, know me. My class knows that I run a lot, am a vegetarian, love the color purple, drink coffee every morning, and am from Iowa. They have also picked up on the fact that during the winter, I wear some variation of the same outfit. Typically, I wear black pants and a sweater with layers underneath. I'm always cold, so layering is the way to go.

However, today was atypical. Spring weather has finally hit (yes!!!) and I was getting tired of wearing the same things over and over again. So, I decided to wear something different, and what a difference it made. I dressed simply: tall black boots, khaki skirt, and a purple shirt with a necklace that had purple in it. The kids kept commenting on my outfit. One girl told me she liked it 5 times, along with telling me, "Miss ---, you are rocking that outfit!" at 7:30 in the morning. It is amazing what a little change can do.

Have you noticed that in your running? I've noticed that since I have incorporated more cross-training into my training this year I have been able to run much better. Changing things up is good every now and again. And, it always helps to get a compliment or two because of it.

Do you work in a field dominated by one gender or the other? What are your feelings on it?