TeacherServer.com
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 would suggest you setting up a parent conference first, to talk about the matter, and to formulate some possible solutions that would benefit all those involved. It might go over better if you the teacher met with them face to face rather than like you talked about sending a note. If the parents agreed to allow him to put on deodorant before he came to school that would be great. As his teacher I would also suggest to them that even if he doesn't take a shower everyday, to at least try to maybe sponge bathe. I would simply tell the parents, that it is hard enough being "the new kid in class", I don't want him to be embarrassed about the situation, and I don't want the other children to seclude him or treat him poorly because of this.