Teachers and Tattoos

This post was written in 2010 when I just arrived in Sydney. The openly accepted culture of having a tattoo there has changed my outlooks on what tattoo is all about. Having tattoos used to symbolize gangsterism or a form of rebellion. But now, the current western culture sees it as art, and a mean of expressing oneself. And some even for religious purposes. I have always love the idea of having art on my body since I was young, but going into the teaching profession has halted that dream...   

My best friend Cindy just recently got herself a tattoo on her back.

This...plus...

this...

= sexy back.

and my girlfriend Kim is getting hers next, probably some tribal wordings on her leg.

I've gotten one on my neck as well.

Too bad mine's a fake.

I've always wanted to get one a long time ago but to be honest... I have doubts. I still remember what my dad told me when I first got my ear pierced.

"Papa is ok with u piercing. But DON'T get a tattoo". lol...

That was way back when I was 16. As I grew up, the urge to get a tattoo grew too. It's mainly because I've always found a fascination with art on the body. Growing up learning from private art classes and to be an artistic person myself (ceh...not really), I've been drawing tattoos on myself and on my friends since I could remember.

At one point I was even making money from my inmates in National Service from drawing tattoos not only with permanent marker, but also homemade permanent tattoos with needles, thread and pen ink. It was an unruly sight with lots of blood gushing, gnashing of teeth and wailing to go with it. Muahahahaha...

Seriously...

As I went through that phase of my life and entered the teaching line, I now ask myself the ultimate question... which I would like to ask everyone else too...

What do you think about teachers that have piercings and tattoos?

It has always been a taboo for teachers to have piercing or tattoos as this profession upholds a certain image that we teachers need to conform to. At a certain level, I think that is reasonable..... 10 maybe 50 years ago. But time has changed and people's mentality especially our young children's has changed with it.

What is not acceptable years ago, is now a common practice in our daily life. I wonder...

If we can change from teacher-centred to student-centred

If we can change from rotan to no rotan at all

If we can change from blackboards to LCD projectors

If we can change from text books to laptops

and obviously,

If we can change from BM to English and back to BM again 0.0

So how many years more do we need to give to accept that teachers don't need to conform to an outdated 50 years ago so called "teacher image".

It's just the matter of time. But I'm gonna start now.

I say WAKE UP and accept that teachers are humans too. We curse and swear among each other (not to students of course.. but how far is that true). We enjoy lewd jokes every once in a while. We watch dirty videos too and also...

We are on FACEBOOK for goodness sake!

Anyways to answer my question, I googled up on other's opinions and I particularly love this response.

"I believe the outward appearance has no definition about the persons inside. The person could be the worlds best teacher and could be fully sleeved and gauged to 00's and that wouldn't affect their mind. I am 17 years old, I am about five foot inches tall and a slender (not bone skinny) frame, and I dress modestly, but underneath all my clothing I have three tattoos. Go figure. The person may choose to show themselves as a work of art for an artist of their choice and the art may represent their soul. You should be more worried about how the teacher teaches your child and how good of a person they are on the inside, not about how much ink they have in their skin and how much hole they have developed in their body. Self image is a free thing in this country and I believe that a teacher who is tattooed and pierced is just showing how more optimistic they really are. I believe it shows that they have more than just a square, closed mind. I believe if a person can open up their heart to try something different, it shows they are an even better person." - Pork Chop

That pretty much sums up what I believed about this matter...

and my dream tattoo is 2 rings on the arm. Something like this, but double it and nicer xD

What do you guys think?

Do you think teachers should just stay and conform to who the society moulded and not be who they really are? Why bother risk it just for this silly trivial matters? Why become a teacher if you want to get a tattoo?"

Then whatever happened to 'Don't judge a book by it's cover'?

Dilemma... dilemma...