Update - Kilted in the classroom

**pdcorlis** · 18th January 06, 01:39 PM

10th to 12th grade? Now THATS a tough crowd!

**GlassMan** · 18th January 06, 01:57 PM

:smile: I'm glad to hear that the classroom experience went to so well.

**cessna152towser** · 18th January 06, 04:18 PM

Good thread, Phil, which will encourage acceptance of everyday kilt wearing. I've been working in another town this past week and wore my black kilt and Argyll jacket one day as a change from my more usual trousered suits. Working as a self employed consultant and visiting a public office, nobody commented on my kilt the day I wore it, but on returning trousered the following day one of the female staff suggested I should wear my kilt more often. On the kilted day, I also had to go out to buy a sandwich during the dinner hour while all the high school kids were out on the street, and the kilt didn't draw their attention or comments at all.

**Alan H** · 18th January 06, 04:24 PM

I have yet to get up in front of a class, kilted, though I've done some of our "in the middle" staff support brown-bag lunches, kilted. So far, nothing but good comments and a few comments from my coworker who coordinates those things that the ladies like it!

**MacHummel** · 18th January 06, 04:34 PM

I'm an educator also and I make a point to wear one of my kilts at lest once a week at school I would wear them more often but the class I work with, the students have developmental disabilities and sometimes these kids can get a little out of hand and need a little physical intervention.
But the rest of the school has always been very supportive about the wearing of my kilts. The one kilt that seems to really attract attention is my denim kilt. Most of the students in the school ask questions and on top of that the Fashion Arts teacher has asked me to come in and talk to her students about kilts and kilt making.
So keep up the kilt wearing.

**arrogcow** · 18th January 06, 10:26 PM

I teach occasionally at a JC and have actually been asked (not officially mandated) not to wear the kilt by my immediate boss (and mostly he was afraid of the former college president's reaction). For the most part, I have complied, though I have given finals kilted a few times. I am also kilted any time I am at the school when not teaching. As a result, most of my students have seen me either at school or out (I teach video production, and try to get students on shoots when ever possible) in a kilt, and while there is some good natured teasing, it doesn't really phase them.

Adam

**GlassMan** · 18th January 06, 10:42 PM

I forgot to mention that I'm the senior stained glass arts instructor for the Arlington County Parks & Rec department and ever since going to kilts I've been kilted. My bosses were shocked at first, but have had no problem since. And none of my students seem to care.

--Phil

**porrick** · 20th January 06, 04:04 PM

I really enjoyed reading of your various kilted teaching experiences. I teach English as a foreign language at a teacher's training college, and as soon as my ordered kilt arrives will use it for teaching British civilization and literature! 8-)

**Sherry** · 19th January 06, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by pdcorlis

10th to 12th grade? Now THATS a tough crowd!

But for WhiteRavenJr., they are his peers, not his students. :smile: That's even tougher.

My oldest DS wears his to university classes, & he gets mostly positive responses. On the negative side, it's really been nothing more than surprise & lack of understanding.

He wore his Nightstalker to the first day of his Fine Arts class, & the prof asked him if it was a real kilt; seems he's never seen a kilt in real life before.

**Riverkilt** · 20th January 06, 07:49 AM

Not an educator, but every semester I do a gig at the local high school for six classes of "bad boys." Main gist of it is how alcohol and all the different drugs kill humans...i.e. what happens to the human body in overdose...how heroin kills, how Ecstasy kills, how cocaine kills, et.al. Not done as a finger wagging warnimg, more as "did you ever wonder how?"

Always go to the high school kilted. Never been a problem, even with these less than friendly students. Actually get more comments in the high school hallways from faculty than from the students.

One of the joys of kilting is to expose the concept of kilts to those who've known no option other than the slavery of pants.

And I do agree with the public speaking comment. These youngsters are used to being entertained, so having public speaking skills - mixed with some theater - works to keep their attention.

Ron