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 have had this issue in a classroom a year ago. The boy was in ninth grade and the students began to be our right rude. The route we took was a referral to the social worker to look into the situation. We did not want to bring the attention to the student but, the comments from other students was also a problem. In a situation such as this teaching thirty students must be your first objective. The distraction will not just go away. By placing it in the social workers hands arrangements can be made to shower at school or a change of clothes be provided by his parents. Handling the situation in a discreet manner as not to embarrass the family or student. The situation will be handled and the distraction removed.                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: High school could be a brutal time for some, and I understand that if it becomes too big of a distraction for the entire class, something has to be done. Thanks for sharing your personal experience on the subject. Rated On: October 16, 2014 6:19 pm Rated By: Angela Avery