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!) This type of situation can be a major classroom distraction (both for the new student and the students in the classroom) and there is the added issue of the new student's feeling. As such, resolving this issue requires tact and sensitivity. The best approach would be to have a conference with the parents about the situation, explaining that the odor is strong and is becoming a distraction in the classroom. Coming from Eastern Europe, I am sure the parents understand hygiene, so that conversation is not necessary, but the circumstances of American climate and culture are different, and to help the student transition into the classroom more easily, it would be helpful if the student bathed on a more frequent basis. I imagine the parents would be understanding and willing to help their child in this particular situation.