How To Deal With Your Students’ Sagging Pants

Sagging pants are a problem in the classroom. They’re a problem because they bring an attitude of rebelliousness.

You’ve seen it yourself.

When a student sags their pants, they behave differently than when they don’t sag their pants. “But Michael, it’s an expression! It’s art. It’s style. It’s culture.”

All fine and good. But it’s linked with disrespect. It’s linked with antagonism toward rules, authority, listening, and learning. It’s linked not by art, style, and culture necessarily, but by behavior.

There is a difference in attitude, civility, and responsibility.

Part of being a leader is doing what is right for your students even if they or others disagree. If anything within your control is a detriment to them and their learning, then you must have the courage to get rid of it.

You must stop being so soft and start standing up for them. So, how do you do that? How do you tell students to pull up their pants when it feels so uncomfortable?

You blame your policy.

Like every rule that protects learning and enjoying school, you must lay out your policies ahead of time. It’s very likely that your school already has a dress code that prohibits pants falling below the waist.

If so, just point to it. As part of your first-days-of-school lessons, detail the dress code and explain how your “Listen and follow directions” rule covers it. Also mention any school-level consequence.

Therefore, the moment you notice a dress code violation, you enforce a consequence per your classroom management plan. It’s simple.

“You have a warning because you’re not wearing your pants at your waist.”

Now, it’s important to mention that if your school doesn’t have such a rule, you can make one in your own class. If it protects learning and helps prepare students for the future, and it does, then create the policy.

It’s not quantum mechanics.

If you lay it out the first of the year, if you let your students know up front what is expected, then they’ll accept it. Grudgingly perhaps, but they understand.

What they don’t like is when it feels arbitrary. If you let it go most of the year and then one day say, “Hey, pull up your pants,” you make it personal. It feels like you’re picking on them.

Always set it up ahead of time. Be detailed in your explanation. Model if need be. Describe why. Allow for questions.

This doesn’t mean you can’t add a new rule midyear. You can. You just have to be sure you go through the steps.

A dress code protects students from distraction. It prepares them for a future in which they very well may have to wear a uniform or dress appropriate to a profession. It instills discipline and decorum that matches the environment.

Sagging pants are unique, however, in that when enforced often results in a humbler, kinder student who is relieved to be in a classroom that makes sense. Social pressure is removed. They don’t have to create or live up to a certain reputation.

Students want discipline. They want leadership. They want boundaries and decency.

It makes them feel safe and cared for. It makes them feel part of your class and part of something bigger than themselves.

A teacher who requires non-negotiable standards that are best for students is respected. They’re respected even by the most challenging students who may not respect another adult in their life.

You can see it the moment they walk through your door. Their head lifts. A smile forms. Eye contact is made. They’re thankful to be just part of the class, like any other student.

“Good morning Ms. Jones. How are you?”

It’s a simple little thing, sagging pants, but like all details, when added up, make a big difference.

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