Erika S. outfits, teaching

in between the storms and the races

It stormed like crazy last night.  We don’t get real lightning and thunder very often here in SF, so when it does happen everyone talks about it.  City dwelling high schoolers reverted to grade school kids sharing their fears.  It’s funny here in SF: earthquake? “Meh, no biggie.”  Thunder? “OMG that was sooo scary!”  The storms cleared today, but it looks like another one might be rolling in this evening.  I took advantage of the lunchtime sunshine.  Too much blue?

My mom gave me this necklace about a year ago when she was going through a rough time.  She picked this necklace out when she was 12 years old in Saigon, Vietnam.  Her favorite uncle had given her money for something like this just before he died.  The character (in cantonese, which we speak at home) is “fook”, which means good luck or good fortune.  These necklaces are not meant to be taken on and off frequently, so I just leave it on all the time.  Wearing it all the time also means I tend to get sideways glances/stares from chinese people on the street.

Asian people tend to think I’m Caucasian and and vice versa.  Kids are usually obsessed with questions like “what are you Ms. Schenck” at the beginning of the year.  Last semester, I made it a point to tell them flatly, “I’m San Franciscan American” and left it at that, redirecting each time.  Mostly, they would get visibly frustrated and try to guess.  Eventually, after much explanation and discussion, they stopped asking.  They laughed when I pointed out that other countries don’t obsessively classify their residents by skin color (hello, I’m Chinese Brazilian!  or hi, I’m African Australian!).  They agreed that knowing my ethnic background would in the end have no relevancy.  But they still just wanted to know.  So they went out and asked around and eventually figured it out.  I understand when they talk shit in Chinese, after all.

shirt: levis (last seen here) – dress: many belles down (orange version seen here) – belt and tights: j.crew – boots: h&m – other necklace: unicorn crafts (last seen here) – bag: f21

Erika S. outfits

stripes and height

A kid said that I looked too serious today.  Must of been the new nude colored blazer I picked up from F21 yesterday.  It could have also been the height.  These Sweedish Hasbeens for H&M sandals put me at 6’3″.  Even the science department head remarked on how tall I was today.  Yeah, I’m tall.  But I still love tall-ish shoes.


glasses: bonlook – blazer: F21 – sweater: madewell – tank (underneath): target – belt: banana republic (old) – jeans: j.brand – shoes: h&m – bag: jcrew

Erika S. outfits

stepping up

cardigan and skirt: j.crew – blouse: madewell – sweater tights: anthropologie (old) – boots: steve madden (old) – pedometer: fitbit – watch: marc by marc jacobs – neclace: family heirloom

By lunch time I *only* had 3550 steps.  Our school is in STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) testing this week, meaning the kids are spending their mornings reading questions and bubbling while I sit there and stare at them.  It’s very exciting.

Erika S. outfits, teaching

Weekend love note

It’s always fun to find love notes left for you from your students on the white board. Yesterday, one of my fav students, “A”, left me this love note.  She found the boxes of preserved specimens waiting to get dissected.  Guess who wants to take physiology next year!  “A” also played photog for me.  Good job, A!

glasses: bonlook – infinity scarf: american apparel – blazer: madewell – sweater: j.crew – belt: gap – jeans: uniqlo – booties – steve madden

Erika S. outfits

nude at school

sunnies: borrowed from aimee – shirt: gap – cardigan and belt: j.crew – wallet: UO – booties: dolce vita

Today was a minimum day at school, the day before spring break.  SPRING BREAK!!  At my school, we celebrate the beginning of spring with a festival where all the clubs set up tables and sell food to fund raise.  I made like a good teacher and bought myself a snack from every table.  No complaints from my belly yet!  I should have planned accordingly though…my outfit was not very springy at all, just very neutral.  Thanks to Aimee for letting me borrow her shades!  And to my student A, who informed me today that it bugs her when her mom shops at F21, and so therefore, I should stop shopping at teen places also. Is she right?  While I muse over that friendly comment from A, here are some other photos from Spring Fest, along with a cute one of my co-worker Nicole (english teacher) and her daughter Kira.  Student faces are blurred out, so they look a little weird.

Erika S. outfits

Blue Flowers

The back is still getting better, kids have been calling me grandma for the past 3 days.  I’ve been wearing the don’t-even-have-to-think-in-the-morning black pants/sweater combo for the past couple of days, so I decided to break out the prints today.  I bought this dress a couple summers ago when I was in Perth for a few weeks.  I still love it and in fact I picked up the old school saddle shoes a while ago to wear with this dress specifically.

These photos were snapped during lunch time.  I was on the lookout for kids.  By the way, my health class noticed how my nails matched my dress today.  A happy coincidence.


glasses: warby parker – cardigan, shirt (layered for the cold SF weather) and bag: j.crew – dress:hello by karen walker – belt/sash: taken from another shirt, F21 – tights: h&m – shoes: bass – watch: marc by marc jacobs

Erika S. fun stuffs

the teacher uniform

Teachers generally are not known for dressing well.  It’s all about comfort and functionality when you are on your feet all day.  Not to mention sweating like crazy when the sun is shining in the classroom but shivering like a mad woman when it’s overcast, getting white board maker crap all over your face/hands/hair/clothes, and getting boogered on.  Yes, I’ve had to deal with boogers, even at the high school level.

I am not one of those teachers who follow the teacher wardrobe mantra of:

  1. wear loose shapeless clothing
  2. no make-up (well ok, only neutrals)
  3. shoes for comfort over style, all the time
  4. neutral colors so that students focus on you and not your outfit
  5. cover all skin, shoulders and legs included
  6. try look older than you are, to look like you mean business and to prevent from being mistaken as a student
  7. avoid shopping at the same stores as the students

Instead of subscribing to this boring teacher’s uniform, I’ve have:

  1. shown up to class wearing matching sweaters with a student
  2. worn bright lipstick on cloudy boring testing days
  3. regularly wear kitchy funny t-shirts that help illustrate the day’s lesson such as this one.  Also a big fan of this, this and this.

Do all students take me seriously at all times?  Of course not.  Doesn’t matter what you put on in the morning, you will always have those students who don’t take you seriously.  For the most part though, students know that when I mean business, they better mean business too.  I tell them, “this is my serious face” and they hop right in line (just kidding).  If anything, I really believe that my fashion sense (or lack of sense) helps make me more relatable and authentic for my students.  Students from urban areas do not automatically view teachers as authority figures and afford respect.  Teachers have to earn their trust and their respect.  I learned that my second day of teaching.  My personality helps me build relationships with my students.  It’s Bio/Physiology/Health during class time, and nail art, fashion shopping, etc during lunch and after school.

On that same note…..one student has found this blog so far.  He’s peeked at it once, mentioned it in class and has since completely forgotten about it.  No google searches for Ms Schenck recently  =)

Here are a few outstanding blogs I read (or have read) regularly who are also authored by teachers.   Are there any more out there?

Past the Mission – of course, my lovely fellow teacher!

Complex Cardigans (sadly, recently ended but with a great archive of posts)

Tick Tock Vintage

Academichic (also defunct but with a great archive)

Erika S. outfits

tiny flowers

It’s friday. The kids have finally stopped singing that Rebecca Black song on fridays.  I know floral jeans have been all over the blogosphere lately, my favorites here, there, here and there.  I’ve had these Forever 21 jeans sitting in my closet since last september and have only worn them once.  No better time than now to pull them out for the second time.  My students knew right away where I found these jeans.  One teenager even told me that she has the same pants.  Great.  I dress like a teenager.  A big teenager that can confiscate your hats and cell phones.  I really tall teenager who forces you to write TEA paragraphs about why income is the greatest indicator obesity in the US and then imitates your groaning.  Happy friday, kids!

glasses: bonlook – necklace, blazer and jeans: F21 – tank: target – v-neck: threads for thought via nordstrom rack – belt: gap – booties: steve madden – key lanyard: TMAHS

Erika S. outfits

outfit stealing

I was browsing my usual blogs yesterday and came across this post from Calivintage (who got it from this post by, Milk Teeths).  I immediately pinned this look to my pinterest board for “looks I love”.  I already have high waisted blue pants!  So I stole the outfit idea and recreated it with what I already had in my closet.

By the way, these H&M Divided pants are the most comfortable pants ever.  It’s like wearing pajamas to work!  It was lunchtime, and I treated myself to a coffee ice cream bar.

glasses: bonlook – cardigan and pants: H&M – blouse: UO (from 2006!) – shoes: Target – bag and belt: J.Crew

A couple nights ago I painted sock monkey faces onto my nails.  Cute right?

Erika S. outfits

quick friday

Today pulled a fast one.  Assembly days tend to make everything go much faster.  Classes are slightly shorter, the school day is broken up with a super awesome cultural show right before lunch time, and the kids are pumped for the weekend.  Today was the Polynesian Club’s chance to perform.  We saw hula dances and the boys did a haka. I just watched and clapped.  =)

scarf: from Thailand – top: cotton on – skirt: J.Crew – tights: H&M – boots: DV by Dolce Vita – barcelet: gift from my popo (grandmother) from when I was a kid – classroom: Ms. Timerman’s