GRWM (get ready with me): teacher edition!
Tik-Tok and Instagram are filled with get-ready-with-me videos (GRWM) where influencers, celebrities, fitness gurus, and college students share tips about how they get ready for their days. But we were interested in the get-ready-with-me routines of our teachers.
They know so much about us, but we know so little about them. As a result, we set out to poll ARHS teachers and other staff to learn how they prepare for their days: what their morning rituals are, what they eat, if they exercise, how they get ready and get dressed each morning, how they commute to school, and their style and lifestyle attitudes.
Many ARHS teachers exercise in the mornings. Art teacher Benjamin Sears does a bunch of different things, including weight training, using an exercise bike, and yoga. Meanwhile, social studies teacher Gloria Davis wakes up at three in the morning and exercises for 35 minutes a day.
English teacher Danielle Seltzer prefers to work out in the afternoon but sometimes does in the morning. “Last year, I lifted once a week in the morning and swam once a week in the morning,” said Seltzer. Social studies teacher Christopher Gould said running has been his go-to exercise, but “it hurts now.”
When it comes to food, ARHS teachers tend to engage in habits aimed at improving their energy and sleep. Copy Center & library paraeducator Paul Felis has done intermittent fasting for a while, typically eating a large meal of chicken cooked in coconut oil, vegetables, and bread at 7 a.m., followed by a second meal at 2 pm, then fasting until breakfast the next day. “When you eat like that every bite is meaningful,” he said, “You’re not just wolfing it down.” Felis said this helps him “sleep better because I’m not digesting.”
Meanwhile, many teachers including Despres, art teacher Ben Sears, and chemistry teacher Evan Mahnken opt to start their day with a light breakfast or none at all.
Davis makes breakfast of Greek yogurt, black pepper, hemp, chia, flax, walnuts, and frozen organic fruit.” She puts it in a canning jar and then makes her lunch for the day. “It’s been the same salad everyday since I started working in Amherst,” she said, noting it has “beets, red onion, mushroom, and organic baked sliced chicken.”
ARHS staff use a wide variety of products in their routine, with some opting for products that smell or feel good. English teacher Sara Barber-Just is a fan of her natural but nice-smelling shampoo and perfume. “[I] use SuperNature Aloe shampoo and conditioner,” she said, “and I wear a subtle vanilla bean fragrance oil.”
Gould uses any products that are in his shower, “I like a good shot of cologne before school to keep the bugs away,” said Gould. Other teachers enjoy fancy soaps and creams with lavender and goat milk, like Spanish teacher Adrianna Morehouse.
As for clothes, teachers had widely varying styles, but they tended to be committed to their fashion rules. “I have a couple racks of ties that probably have around 200-300 ties,” said Gould. “I like to keep the students guessing and I NEVER depart with an item of clothing. Some of my clothes I have kept since high school. I am now sixty.”
Many teachers have a simple way of choosing clothes each day. “[A] shirt and tie is the uniform,” said English teacher Matthew Despres who picked up his sense of style as a new teacher and kept with it.
“You can’t beat a brown woolen sport coat and a wooden tie,” said Gould, while chemistry and physics teacher Even Manken calls his style “male teacher chic.”
The teachers of ARHS have a shared belief that style as an educator must be comfortable. “Finding something that feels comfortable is important,” said Despres, Gould describes his style philosophy as “taking the Daoist approach,” which prioritizes naturalness and comfort.
Davis agrees that comfort is a necessity, but also prioritizes dressing up. “When I first arrived at Amherst, I couldn’t do the earthy crunchy look,” said Davis. “As a Black American, you have to dress well.”
Seltzer has unique choices for her outfit every day. “My favorite outfits are the ones that I inherited from my grandmother,” said Seltzer. “They consist of vintage dresses, colorful jumpsuits and some unique skirts.”
Morehouse, meanwhile, loves dresses. “They are easy to wear,” Morehouse said, “And my shoes have to be perfect!”
Teachers commute to school in various models of cars from different places.
While Gould drives his silver Mazda 3, Barber-Just pulls up in a white Toyota Prius. “My license plate says BJUST!” said Barber-Just, noting she has a Chappell Roan bumper sticker next to her plate. Despres drives from Greenfield and drops his five-year-old off at school before going to ARHS with his middle schooler.
When asked about their philosophies about beauty, fashion, or appearance ARHS teachers said they prioritize their job and their students and dress accordingly. “Teachers are essentially on a stage every day,” said Despres. “Students, other teachers, parents, community members are all people we interact with all the time.”
“I try and make sure I look professional and feel comfortable and confident,” said Librarian Ella Stocker. “I think it is important for teachers and adults in a school to appear put together and professional, although I don’t think wearing “dress clothes” is practical in my role, so I prefer a more “casual but professional” look.”
“My philosophy about getting dressed for school is that we dress up for important people in our lives,” said Seltzer “And students are the most important part of my job. So I tend to dress up more for school than I do anywhere else.”
