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 teach 9th graders and believe you me, I have seen, and smelled my share of the "smelly kids". I call them out in the hall, outside of class and present them with a personal hygiene kit. This would be a bag with soap, shampoo, deodorant, gum, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. I explain to them that it is a very difficult conversation to have, but I would rather them hear it from someone that loves them (me) then to hear it from someone that is out to hurt them. I would also explain that this is in no way meant to abuse the beliefs or traditions of their culture. I simply want them to fit in as much as possible and I fear that everyone would be talking about them behind their back and it would be so much better if he and I talked face to face.