What do you think of this letter sent home by a teacher in New York? (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/25/pre-k-smelly-kids-note_n_4338734.html?ir=Education)
I can relate. I encountered this more times than I can count. Our Ex Ed PreK classroom smelled like a urinal no matter how often cleaning occured, or what was used. Many of these students were not potty trained due to disabilities and development issues.
How many of you have that hygiene talk with students? Eventually, you must talk with students about personal hygiene because parents haven’t. How do you approach that chat?
No matter the age of the student, hygiene and cleanliness falls to the parent, not the teacher. Students must come to school with the basic necessities met. By that I mean, proper nutrition, a safe home, clean clothes and body. That is the job of the parent!
If I had an issue described in the note sent home, I would have had a conversation with parents first. If that didn’t solve the issue (many times it doesn’t), I would have had a conversation with my administration before sending a note like this home.
I know you all will chime in on this one.
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I think this note was harshly worded and unprofessional. It could have at least been typed as a memo to go home to parents. It looks to me like this came as a reaction, not as the result of a well-thought decision. Yes, as teachers we have all had to have the hygiene talk with parents and students. Perhaps some of the families need assistance with clothing, both for purchasing new and getting clothes washed. There needed to be some level of concern instead of shaming in this note.