Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Smelly Kid I guess I am still considered a novice teacher because I have been teaching for four years only. I am an elementary school teacher who teaches in a mostly White suburban setting. Couple of weeks ago a new student joined my classroom. He and his parents recently moved from Eastern Europe. His father works at the local university as a music professor. I am not sure what his mother does. He is a wonderful child. Although he speaks little English, he tries to participate in class activities and to make friends with others in the classroom. Couple days after he arrived, I noticed a strange smell around him. I was sure that it was body odor. The other students in the classroom started noticing it too. They started making fun of him. I learned in my multicultural classes when I was at the university that not all cultures promote taking showers everyday, and that body odor is not considered a problem everywhere in the world. Now I have a big dilemma. If I tell my student about it, I might embarrass him. If I sent a note to his parents, I may appear disrespectful toward their culture. But the way he is treated in the classroom by the other students is becoming a real problem. What should I do? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I think it is important to address this problem with the entire class. If you talk to the student directly, you might embarrass him and this might change how he acts in class. I think teaching a mini health lesson on hygiene would benefit the student and the entire class. You could discuss how we clean our bodies and the importance of washing our hair, body, and even teeth. Students could then brainstorm ways to keep themselves clean and healthy, ex: showering, deodorant, brushing teeth. Following this lesson, I might send home a newsletter to parents about the importance of hygiene as their students' bodies change. I agree this is a very sensitive subject, but I think tackling it head on is the best solution.                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I love how you have allowed the whole class to get involved without singling out the one kid. That is very smart and very nice of you. I would go about this situation in the same way. Rated On: June 3, 2015 2:51 pm Rated By: TyhyMa