Zachmann, also the girl’s soccer coach at Blaine High School, said his mother impressed upon him at an early age to dress well and dress for success.
“My mom would send me ties in the mail at college,” he said. “She always had us dressing nice as kids, and that was the expectation, so that sort of carried on.”
Zachmann started receiving ties as gifts from his students a number of years ago, and began keeping them in his classroom. For a few years now, he’s selected one student each day to pick out a tie for him to wear.
His collection has grown to include dozens of ties: some tacky, some holiday themed, some old, and some from far away places. Students have brought him ties from family vacations in places as far away as Florida and Hawaii.
“They know the ties will stay here as long as I teach,” he said. “Over the years, they think that’s pretty cool.”
He said the selection of the student who gets to select the tie of the day is not always an exact science. Some days it’s because it’s that student’s birthday. Some days it’s a reward for something the day before, or a pick-me-up after maybe a tough day for the young person.
“Sometimes, I just pick a kid to pick a kid,” Zachmann said with a shrug.
Most days there’s anticipation of what the student will pick, or even who gets to pick, and then the ties are often recognized by students throughout the school.
He also said there’s been days when he’s been so busy he forgets to remove the tie before he leaves campus, and ends up wearing a hot dog tie to the store after work.
“It’s a way to connect with the kids, and it’s something they get to look forward to,” he said. “It’s my little 10- to 15-second moment where I can start a day with a kid and connect.”
