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 situation is a common situation that occurs in all classrooms regardless of a child's culture. I have had this exact problem in the classroom before with a fifteen-year-old teenager. This particular teenager did not wish to shower nor did the parents promote showering. In cases like mine and the one above, I think the best outlet a teacher can take is going to the guidance counselor whereupon they contact the family, and bring them in to talk. The counselor may have one or two teachers present as well. It is also to be suggested that in no way is the meeting meant to dishonor their culture; however, they are now living in a new culture and should not want their child to suffer the repercussions in the classrooms due to lack of understanding of new culture.