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 feel that this is a tough situation because different cultures do have different views and you do not want to offend anyone. However if other students are noticing the problem and are making fun of the child, it is not good for the student. I know at our school our P.E. teacher usually gives a health lesson that deals with personal hygiene. The school counselor and nurse are also great resources to use within the school on such situations. I do feel that the teacher can set up a parent-teacher conference to discuss what is occurring and that she wanted to make them aware of the situation. I would be careful with how I approach the situation with the parents and make sure I do not make them feel like their culture is not appropriate or wrong.