Why are hats in school considered disrespectful? I'm on my lunch break right now at a teacher conference and we just read a student's persuasive essay on why hats should be allowed in school. The student argues that no one can really tell you why hats are considered disrespectful and it got me thinking. Why are they? We got in a *lively* discussion at my table about the issue. I don't think anyone can really say why hats are disrespectful other than that *they just are* -- I think it comes down to cultural tradition in our country. Isn't it just tradition that tells us we should take our hats off in front of authority figures? Is there really a reason why? I understand that we should have our hats off in churches and schools ect., because that connotes respect in our country, but again--why? What is it about an uncovered head that shows respect? I think it might just be tradition. Please tell me why though if you have a good argument. I would really like to know.
*NOTE* I would say that if the hat is a relgious or military hat of sorts it shows disrespect if it is worn improperly.
I teach high school obviously, and I accidentally don't notice when my students wear hats in my classroom. I honestly don't notice. I have other teachers tell my students to take their hats off when my class is in the library and I have a moment of embarrassment because I honestly don't see it--. I have talked to a few younger teachers at the school and they feel the same way. Possibly it is a generational thing? The three well-seasoned teachers at my table today are from my parents' generation and one is an x-Marine. They all have problems with kids wearing hats--I really don't. (I didn't tell them that...we were just talking about why it is or isn't disrespectful). But please, help me understand why a hat itself is disrespectful, I need to be enlightened!
I think if we could tell the students *WHY* it is disrespectful they would better understand the rule. This being said I do understand that my role as a teacher is to enforce school hat policies.
6 comments:
I have a few thoughts on it. For one, sometimes we do things just because they have always been done that way. I don't think there's anything wrong with tradition, as long as it's not an evil one. Secondly, I've always thought that it was disrespectful to wear a hat inside because it hides your face. Especially in a classroom, it would be necessary for a student to see a teacher and vice versa. I read something online that said statistics show that people are often more volatile and likely to start an argument if they have a hat on. And it's because since their face can't be seen, they feel more enboldened. Thirdly, most hats are often emblazened with a logo for a sports team or some other organization, brand,etc. There is no place for commercialism in the classroom. School shouldn't be a competition. In my school, different colored hats with different insignias on them represented different gangs. It is probably a safety issue. And fourth, a hat is meant to cover your head from the elements. You would take off your huge coat and gloves when going inside, so why not take off your hat? Also, I think the tradition initially started because hats are protection for the head. When you go into someone's house, class, building, whatever and take your hat off, you are showing respect, humility, and trust. It is a sign that you're saying "I took my helmet off because I trust that you're not going to hit me or drop something on my head." Those are just the thoughts I have.
do they have the same view in england? Those big frumpy things with feathers are an elegant part of the outfit. I saw kids walking in school uniforms on the street in London, and they were all wearing berets as part of the uniform. And i've noticed at church, women don't have to take off their hats during prayers ... provided it's a hat, not a casual baseball cap.
I thought the hat rule was dumb, too. Nice of you to *sorta* enforce it. I never did -- it seemed like a dumb way to power trip over students and demonstrate how irrational I was. I think traditions are meant to be broken, and there are a lot of stupid traditions that are being social broken all the time, thank heavens! Like women owning property.
Jen's points are interesting ... though hat-kids' eyes are usually easier to see than the ones with bangs of death.
p.s. i propose that you reply to our posts, so we can have a tiny dialogue
I also have had issues with this one. My first year teaching, I didn't notice it. At all. I don't think I ever asked a kid to take off a hat. I know, I'm terrible. This year, I've had to get a lot better. This is because a) this seems to be a much larger issue in the south and b) as JMadd has mentioned, gangs are an issue at my school, and anything that can be labeled as gang stuff can't be worn at school for safety reasons. Sometimes I still forget, and last semester I had several of those embarrassing moments you mentioned where someone else had to ask my students to take hats off at different places in the building. I agree with a lot of Panini's comments, but since I have to follow the school policy, I'm glad JMadd has given me some things to think about.
JMadd you make me laugh! My students probably should wear helmets in my class jk :D I am glad Katie and Cami that I am not the only one who has missed the hat thing. The thing is--they allow them in college...so why not in high school? Is it a maturity level thing--we demand your hat-less respect in high school, but don't demand it in college? And yes, there are issues with gangs at my school too. But most of the kids in my school who wear hats are the skaters and the trendy girls with their little beanie thingys :D
I have thought about this too all last night actually, and came up wiht this. So--traditionally hats also showed authority right? Like kings wear crowns and religious leaders and nuns wear some sort of head gear often, and military people have hats with little stars and stuff on them to show rank. So, do you think it is a tradition thing like I don't wear a hat because I don't have the authority you do? So you take your hat off to show that you are not at the level of the person above you?
The girl hat thing is interesting because girls still can wear hats in church right(?) and men take theirs off. Hmmmm.
Also, hats don't bother me in my classroom, but hoodies over their heads to hide their ipod things do, but honestly, I think the hoodie-head-hiding is out of style.
I think the tradition might even be biblical? I don't know for sure, but a nagging little bit of non-sourced information in my brain is telling me that because certain Bible verses talk about women NEEDING to cover their head, it was acceptable/required for women to wear some kind of head covering in public, it just depended on the era as to what the covering actually was/is. And possibly opposite for men, as they wore hats while working out in the sun etc. it was courteous to take it off when entering a building because it signified you weren't working? I don't know, that is a total guess or reach. And it is 10:45 at night after a long and stressful weekend and I'm on cold meds, so really I could be hallucinating the whole thing. Anyway, good luck w/ the conundrum.
If it is a gang thing, that could be connected to college. College kids don't typically belong to gangs, right? ;)
I'd actually like standard uniforms--simplify everything--put the focus elsewhere, minimize distractions...
That's so interesting about Scully's comment...women needing to cover their heads... it would make sense that our tradition is a throwback to that.
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