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 first thing that you need to do is to acknowledge that your student's body odor is a problem that is effecting his social and emotional development because he is being teased by his peers. It is good that you are being culturally sensitive to the student however, in the long run he needs to understand that he has entered a new country whose cultural norms identify cleanliness with low body odor. I would consult with the school guidance counselor and ESOL teacher to ask for their help. I would also contact the child's parents by holding a conference that included the counselor and ESOL teacher. At the meeting I would explain the concern for the child's over all social emotional development due to his strong body odor. That would help the parents understand that they may have to help their child adapt to changes in cultural norms related to body odor in order for him to not be teased at school. I would also ask the guidance counselor to present the class with a special lesson on feelings and hygiene. I would ask the ESOL teacher to present a special lesson to the class about the students culture . The lessons would help classmates to have a better understanding of how they can be friends with the new child. Helping the class learn about diversity would also help the student to become comfortable in the class.