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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!) It sounds as though, Igoa's (1995) CAP system of intervention is required. That is, a cultural intervention is needed. First, I would suggest that the teacher engage the student in a one-on-one conversation to find out the facts regarding the student's culture regarding taking showers everyday. The teacher can do this in a non-offensive way; her/his goal is simply to communicate with the student to learn about various aspects of his culture. Next, if the teacher does not feel as though she does not have a personal relationship with the student to the extent that they can talk one-on-one, I would suggest that the teacher involve the parents through a parent conference to address the matter. I would even add that the teacher seeks the support of the nurse during the conference to help the parents understand that the issue is not a cultural one, but more of a health concern for the student (as well as the class). While it is important to respect and tolerate the culture of others, we have to also take measures to ensure that the learning environment is a safe place for all students. Also, during the parent conference, the teacher needs to communicate to the parents the other students' reactions and how it may affect their son, as well as how the odor may be a distraction for the class. Reference: Igoa, C., (1995). The inner world of the immigrant child. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. |
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