Can Teachers Have Nose Piercings?
Debates are nothing new in the teaching profession. From whether teachers should be mandated to wear uniforms like some other professions and whether teachers can have colored hair to why males in modern-day shun the profession especially at the early childhood levels.
One of such hotly debated topics is whether teachers can have nose piercings or piercings on other parts of the body.
This is no surprise educating the upcoming generations can come with a lot of responsibility for teachings.
On the surface and logically speaking, a piercing on any part of someone shouldn’t interfere with the person’s ability to do their jobs properly.
However, the role of a teacher comes with responsibilities and various factors need to influence any decisions made over appearance.
This article will shed some insight into points presented over this discussion and then our recommendations.
Why Ear Piercings Are Accepted
One aspect of the nose and other body parts piercings that comes up most is why ear piercings seem to be widely accepted in almost every community.
Why isn’t there any stigma associated with ear piercing but instead it is widely accepted and recommended?
Ear piercings seem to be normal and a must for women in almost every part of the globe. This has been the case for thousands of years and a woman not having an ear piercing is rather seen as odd in many cultures.
Most cultures worldwide recommend that women have their ears pierced at a young age and in some cases multiple piercings in the ear.
However, having more than one ear piercing in each ear starts to feel slightly out of the norm in most cultures.
In some cultures, it’s recommended for men to have their ears pierced, although this isn’t the norm in most cultures these days.
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Positive Effects Of Teachers Having Piercings
1. Self Expression
The first point most presented in this discussion is “self-expression”. Piercings are seen as a form of accessorizing and helps people to express themselves.
Having the comfort to express yourself leads to confidence which is a necessary attribute a teacher needs to possess to properly train the upcoming generation.
2. No Negative Effect On Capability
Having a nose piercing or a piercing on any other parts of the body has no negative effect on the teacher’s ability to administer their duties.
Teachers are trained and in most cases professionally certified to train learners. Completing the training, whether remotely or on-campus means the teacher is fully equipped to teach in their subject area.
The number of piercings and where they’re located had nothing to do with the training they endured and therefore they should be able to succeed in their respective roles.
3. Easier Teacher-Learner Relation
The cool factor that comes with piercings can sometimes make it easier for learners to relate to a teacher.
Students, especially those at the high school level find it easy to relate to teachers who are unconventional as they consider them as creative and unique among their peers.
Negative Effects Of Teachers Having Piercings
1. Social Stigma
The teaching profession comes with a lot of expectations because the quality of education learners receive has a great impact on their character and their future.
From school symbols to laws governing certain activities in schools, society expects the institution to provide the best for learners. This includes providing the best level of training and role models for learners.
Unfortunately, most of our society has some form of negative impressions about people with tattoos, nose rings, and other body piercings besides the ear.
Society expects teachers to be perfect role models for learners and the stereotype around nose piercings leads people to least expect a teacher to have these.
Although the past few decades have brought many advancements, tolerance, and understanding, some cultures still associate nose piercings and other body modifications with rebellion.
This gives the impression that the teacher is rebellious and the last thing the community or parents want is a rebellious teacher training their wards.
In some cases, parents go to the extreme by withdrawing their wards from these institutions or getting the institution to dismiss such a teacher.
In some communities, females with piercings and tattoos are tagged inappropriately as being indecent or sluts.
2. Teacher Interviews
Imagine going for an interview and meeting a board full of elderly men and women. The first thing they notice is your face and nose-jewel.
They immediately draw a conclusion about you even before you’re given the opportunity to speak. As unfair as this sounds, it’s the reality in our world.
Although people are becoming more accepting of facial accessories in the Western world, it’s still a challenge in some cases.
Some of the older generations still consider these modifications as a sign that you’re a bad person, or rebellious.
They, therefore, judge you even before you’re given the opportunity to speak and even present them with your accomplishments and experiences.
This isn’t isolated to the teaching or education field as similar scenarios also play out in other fields.
If you’re unaware of the school’s regulations on facial piercings or other body piercings, it’s advisable to consider the possibility that the school’s regulations may be against these before going.
3. Poor Role Models
It’s no secret that learners especially children are very impressionable. They absorb as much information as they can and like to ask questions.
Unfortunately, some topics are harder to explain to children and a hotly debated topic like piercings should be handled with some level of care.
Imagine a learner asking their parents for a tattoo simply because their teacher has a cool tattoo of something they like.
Due to various reasons including the negative stigma surrounding this topic, the parent may not like tattoos and this can lead to bigger issues if this insistence by the child continues.
4. Breach Of School Regulations
Some schools explicitly have regulations governing teachers’ dress code, tattoos, facial and other body piercings, and more.
Although educational institutions are becoming more tolerant of individual instructor self-expressions, some still maintain their reservations concerning body piercings.
Their reasoning could stem from the negative stigma and the effects it could have on both the teacher and the institution as a whole.
Teachers should make inquiries about this before deciding on whether to wear some of these accessories.
However, some modern institutions simply require a minimal amount of accessories on their teachers.
5. Distraction
A large number of piercings can emphasize a specific part of the body while taking attention from the others.
In the classroom and even with colleagues, having a lot of piercings can become a huge source of distraction.
This distraction, if not checked can lead to issues with other teachers and bigger issues with parents.
Can Teachers Have Multiple Ear Piercings?
Although most modern educational institutions have no reservations against multiple ear piercings, teachers in the traditional sense aren’t expected to have multiple ear piercings.
Our Recommendation
No, teachers shouldn’t have facial piercings. That said, a nose piercing would be acceptable in most educational institutions, but other facial piercings besides the normal ear piercing would be prohibited by most institutions.
While society is growing to be more accommodating of these individual preferences, the educational field still maintains strict regulations for both teachers and students.
Although having facial piercings has no real effect on the ability of a teacher to administer their duties, the social stigma surrounding it can lead to other issues.
We recommend that teachers verify the school’s regulations surrounding this before choosing to wear any nose or facial jewels.
If you’re going for a teacher interview, it would be advisable to cover up any facial piercings or the very least wear a stud.
