The return to school means that I no longer have the lazy summer, self-care focused morning routine that has helped me recover from the toughest year of my career. My typical summer morning involved cooking oatmeal the 15 minute old-fashioned way, working my way through an entire carafe of coffee(!), and reading. When I’m not reading books, I work my way through an online newspaper using the PressReader app, then I check the news updates on my favorite soccer football team, Chelsea, via Bleacher Report, and finally I catch up with other interests via the Flipboard app. One of the Flipboard feeds that I follow is from Dappered, who share great affordable fashion ideas for men. One of their regular features is the Style Scenario, which puts a themed outfit together, with links to the best/cheapest places to purchase the items. And so, with tongue firmly in cheek (do I look like a fashion expert?), here is my first day of school style scenario, in the style of Dappered.

The Pants: Lululemon ABC Pants Classic – $128. Yes that’s a lot of money to drop on a pair of trousers, but hear me out. Not only are these the most comfortable pants I’ve ever taught in, they double up as smart looking in the classroom but I can still wear them when I transition from health class to PE class. It wasn’t until I realized that I was still teaching in tracksuit pants that were literally 15 years old (swoosh on the clothes, and swooshing sounds whenever I wore them) , that I could justify investing in a ‘proper’ pair of work pants.

The Belt: Nike Golf Men’s 3-in-1 Web Belts – $19.98. Three belts for the price of one, and one size fits all. Again, I’ve switched out a lot of the baggy shorts in which I taught back in the day (influenced by Michigans Fab 5 – the baggier the better). When I wear shorts, I wear tailored/golf shorts and these belts pair with pretty much anything that I wear to school.

The Shoes: Nike Killshot 2 Leather – $100. I worked in a sneaker store from the age of 15 through until I graduated college. It was the best part-time job I ever had and allowed me access to the latest shoes, with an employee discount. It’s funny to see shoes being re-released now that I was selling when they first appeared on the shelves in the late 80’s. These Killshots are often available for around $60 from Nike or J.Crew and I’ve taken advantage of that twice, and now have a pair in green, and blue, our school colors.

The Mask: Rhone Face Mask Essential 3-Layer 3 Pack – $12. 18 months into the pandemic, and returning to school with a mask mandate for all, I’m kicking myself that I STILL haven’t found a face mask that works best for me in the classroom. We will have many mitigation measures in place when we return to school, including masks, testing and 3 feet distancing, and thankfully reported vaccination rates are high among staff and student population alike. I haven’t been able to get hold of any K95 masks, so I’ll be trying out these from Rhone.

The Watch: Timex Weekender Chronograph 40mm Watch – $48.86. I love this watch so much, I have one in green and one in blue. Our block schedule is named after our school colors so we have green days and blue days. Yes, you’ve guessed it. I wear my green watch on green days and the blue watch on blue days. I pair the watch with a military nylon strap similar to these.

The Travel Mug: Fellow 16oz Carter Move Mug – $35. Fellow love coffee more than me. This travel mug has all the features I’m looking for including a locking lid that eliminates liquid mishaps. They promise customers a ‘your-bag-is-not-getting-wet’ guarantee. I ordered a limited edition one in green…because of course I would. I have a code for 15% off of your first purchase, so treat yourself!

The Audiobook: Chris Voss. Never Split the Difference – $17.99 (hardback). I subscribed to Masterclass during the year and am loving the high quality online classes. Now that I have had the chance to watch a few, I can officially DJ your next wedding (thanks to Questlove) and I can cook you a beef wellington (courtesy of Gordon Ramsay). If you are ever held hostage by terrorists I can negotiate your release having watched the awesome Chris Voss, former FBI lead hostage negotiator. In fact I loved his class so much, I have lined up his audiobook as the first thing I’ll listen to now that my 70 minute(!) commute has returned. Life is a series of negotiations you should be prepared for: buying a car, negotiating a salary, buying a home, renegotiating rent, deliberating with your partner. Taking emotional intelligence and intuition to the next level, Never Split the Difference gives you the competitive edge in any discussion. I have a Masterclass code for a 7-Day guest pass here for you.

If you enjoyed this post, please check out the awesome Dappered as they do this often, and give great fashion advice much better then I can. I hope your return to school goes well, and that whatever you are wearing…you have a great 2021/22.

Great back-to-school blog posts that you will LOVE, include:

Building Your Health Curriculum by Amy Prior

5 Tips for Better Sleep. Perfect for your transition back to waking to an early alarm!

Advice to a New Teacher. Starting your teaching career? Check this out from Renee Reedhardt.

Finally, Amy Dawson shared a powerful poem that you simply MUST read and share, in A Poem About Stories.