Teaching is a rewarding and fulfilling career. Whether you are helping little ones learn the basics or introducing complicated themes to teenagers, educators make a huge difference in children’s lives.
But if you are someone who expresses themselves with beautiful tattoo art, you may be wondering if your passion for ink will be an obstacle in your teaching career.
While tattoos are continued to be accepted in the workplace, teachers may experience pushback from administrators. Every school has a different policy for tattoos. Let’s navigate standard guidelines and offer suggestions for covering up ink that isn’t school approved.
There is always a need for more teachers! Nurturing the minds of future leaders is a fulfilling and noble calling. But don’t let small things like tattoos keep you from pursuing your passion in education. Regardless of the policy at the schools near you, there is a solution to working as a tattooed educator. Whether you need to conceal your ink or remove it altogether, Removery offers treatments for prospective teachers with tattoos.
This question doesn’t have a definitive yes or no answer. There is no law forbidding teachers from having tattoos. However, there is also no legislation protecting inked educators from discrimination. Each school district or private institution has the right to set its own dress code policies. Tattoos fall within that code of conduct. As a result, tattoo policies for teachers vary.
As tattoos become more socially accepted, most schools allow educators to show their inked artwork. Common policy requirements mandate what tattoo subject matter is appropriate to show. In addition, some staff dress codes will limit the number of acceptable tattoos. However, there are still some school officials that completely ban tattoos on teachers. As a result, if you are a teacher with visible ink, it is important to check a school’s policy before applying.
It is 100% legal for school districts to decline a teaching application based on tattoos. No law protects against discrimination based on body art. As tattoo policies vary by institution, it is wise to read up on the tattoo standards of the school you want to teach at. Hiring managers can still decline your application if your ink meets tattoo regulations. However, the main factors that influence hiring decisions based on tattoos are:
Most schools that don’t hire because of tattoos have a stipulation stating that educators or school officials cannot have visible tattoos. Therefore, if your ink is easily covered and you can conceal the tattoo daily, you will be in compliance.
As tattoos become more popular and socially accepted, the policy for educators with visible ink has loosened in most areas. However, as no legal precedent allows or denies teachers from having tattoos, each school district and private institution creates its own policies. If you are applying in a conservative area, the most common school tattoo policies you will encounter are:
Most schools accept tattoos as long as the subject matter doesn’t violate their community standards. So while you might have to cover up a pin-up girl straddling a torpedo, the paw prints from your best furry friend should be okay. In addition to nudity and violence, other tattoo subjects that may be deemed inappropriate by school officials include:
Schools that do not allow visible tattoos will require your ink to be completely undetectable while on school grounds. While this may be simple for arm, torso, and leg tattoos, it is more challenging for ink on the hands, ankles, neck, or face. Despite widespread acceptance of tattoos in society as a whole, there are still several teaching institutions that do not allow tattoos to show. So if you are considering a career as a teacher, skip these hard-to-cover areas of the body until you understand the district’s policy on tattoos.
In addition, some schools take a middle approach between all or none on tattoos. For example, policies may limit the number of tattoos a teacher can have visible. While this policy can be a pain for those with full sleeves of ink, showing a small tattoo on your ankle or wrist won’t cause termination.
Schools with policies against teachers having tattoos are usually based on parent perception. A tattoo doesn’t change your ability to teach, nurture, or encourage students.
Traditionally, tattoos were deemed unacceptable for the workplace. Permanent ink used to be a marker for trouble. For a long time, tattoos were reserved for people living outside societal norms. As a result, there was a lot of judgment around tattoos and the people who had them. While most employers are adopting a more accepting policy around tattoos, several occupations still deem permanent ink unprofessional. Unfortunately, teaching is one of them. Tattoos on teachers can be considered distracting for students. In addition, the personal reasons behind getting a particular piece can be inappropriate to share in a classroom. Consequently, the main issue with teachers having tattoos is perceived professionalism.
School officials are always concerned with optics, especially in areas where education is competitive. Parents have several options for schooling, including public, private, and homeschooling. As a result, institutions want to set the best impression to gain parental support.
Tattoos are polarizing – you either like them or you don’t. To avoid disapproval, many school boards will ban visible ink on teachers.
If your school allows visible tattoos, there are several options for tattoos acceptable in the workplace. Examples of these include:
So what do you do if your ink doesn’t fall under the teacher tattoo policy at the school? Before considering a large tattoo removal , explore ways to cover up ink. The easiest option is to wear clothing that completely conceals your tattoo. Wear darker colors to ensure the fabric is as opaque as possible. Consider using full-coverage makeup to camouflage ink on the hands, neck, or face for highly visible tattoos.
Surveys from 2021 found that 30% of Americans have at least one tattoo. There are over 4 million teachers in the US, which means over 1,000,000 educators are sporting permanent ink. So if you love tattoos and are passionate about teaching, you aren’t alone. As the percentage of people with permanent ink increases, teacher tattoo policies are expected to become more lax. Within the next twenty years, having a tattoo will be the norm, not the exception!
No study has been conducted that shows any negative correlation between tattooed educators and student performance. Most negative sentiments school officials or parents have about teachers with tattoos in the workplace are based on outdated societal norms.
School officials may argue that tattoos distract students while they are learning. Colorful ink can pull attention away from a lesson and pique curiosity. As a result, the teacher may end up fielding questions about what their tattoo is or means. This distraction can get lessons off course and disrupt the focus of other students.
Children look up to their teachers as mentors, role models, and leaders. Conservative parents express concern over allowing visible tattoos in the classroom out of fear it will influence students. If a child sees their teacher is tattooed, that may increase their interest in permanent ink.
Tattoos are a form of self-expression. Each inked piece means something to the person wearing it. In an education setting where questions and exploration are encouraged, it is unavoidable that students will ask about the meaning of their teacher’s tattoos. Unfortunately, explaining why they got a particular tattoo without divulging something personal is impossible for many people. As a result, school officials can deem ink to be unprofessional when it sheds light on life outside of the schoolyard.
While tattoos are increasingly becoming more acceptable, there is still a lingering distaste in conservative areas of the country. The old-school mentality that tattoos are for troublemakers, gang members, or prison inmates casts a shadow over a teacher’s competency. It is impossible for inked skin to affect anyone’s ability to teach. However, conservative school policy makers will ban tattoos to avoid negative connotations or judgment.
Regarding any educator dress code policy, including visible tattoos, it is always best to err on the side of caution. If you need clarification on whether your ink meets district standards, discuss it with HR before exposing your tattoos. While tattoos are an important form of self-expression, it isn’t worth losing your job over a misunderstanding.
So, can tattoos be visible as a teacher? The answer is a firm maybe. There is no federal regulation regarding tattoos and educators, so each school board makes its own tattoo policy. If you love tattoos and are considering pursuing a career as a teacher, it is wise to err on the conservative side. Get inked places that are easy to cover, like the arms, torso, or legs, and avoid controversial artwork.
However, if your passion for teaching came after some questionable tattoo decisions, there is still hope for a promising career in education. Thanks to Removery’s state-of-the-art technology, tattoos are no longer permanent! Schedule a free consultation with one of their knowledgeable technicians. With treatment centers available coast to coast, there is a Removery center near you! So whether you are searching for tattoo removal Chicago or laser removal Massachusetts, a Removery center is nearby. Their laser removal treatments are fast, efficient, and relatively pain-free. See a significant difference in the prominence of a tattoo in as little as one treatment. Let Removery help you feel more confident at your next teaching interview!
We’re on a mission to give you the most straightforward, easy and efficient laser tattoo removal experience. Your estimate will be entirely bespoke to your tattoo; the size, the colors, the ink. It won’t take long and afterwards you’ll have a plan to finally get rid of your unwanted tattoo and get back to being you.
