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!) The problem with this student's body odor is that it is beginning to affect the students around him. You risk embarrassing the student two ways- if you speak to him privately, it may embarrass him, but if you don't say anything and allow it to go on, he may be embarrassed worse if his peers make fun of him. I think the best solution would to talk to his parents about it, even if it risks insulting them. It is better to non-intentionally insult an adult rather than scar an emotionally sensitive immigrant student with an embarrassing moment. You just have to bet on his parents being understanding. I would imagine that since his father is an educated man and a professor, he has a better grasp of the culture of the US and would be understanding of the situation, seeing you as a concerned teacher helping a student. I would, however, make sure to speak to him over the phone or in perfect, as tone and meaning can sometimes be lost over text like email.