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 that I would write out a thorough letter or email (so that I can choose my words wisely and edit as I see necessary) simply telling the parents what is going on as far as the child being picked on. I'd be careful to assume that the parents are unaware of the American culture with bathing, as this could be offensive too (assuming they are ignorant). However I would primarily focus on the student's well-being and confidence, along with the fact that puberty is nearing for all the students in his grade and new smells are becoming more frequent. I'd then go on to tell a little bit about the normal hygiene routine of most of the children in his class for the parents to consider and learn from IF they actually aren't aware of American hygiene norms I'd mention something like: "most of the students take baths or showers the night before class or the in the morning before, so anything less than this might seem strange to Ian's fellow classmates." This way the parents can take this information and do what they want to with it. I'd follow up as needed if the issues continues, but for now I think it is something to proceed with baby steps.