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 agree with many other people that you should speak with the parents in person versus alternate forms of communication. Before I went and spoke with the parents though, I would have a conversation with the counselor and possibly with others (personally friends) about how to approach the subject without seeming insensitive. It is a hard thing to address, and it has nothing to do with being a novice teacher. I would also suggest talking to the students who are doing the bullying and talk with them about how hygiene and other habits/customs vary from culture to culture. If they are made aware of how rude and insensitive they are being then the bullying could possibly lessen or stop altogether.