Primary classes and BO: what would you do or say?

[onlycw]

This older colleague has personal hygiene issues. The school asked to please change clothes daily, without spelling it out. The kids began taking air freshener into the class rooms.

 

What would you do? With a view of helping, not humiliating?

 

Well, I sent a blunt message and suggested soap, water and deodorant.

 

(There might be deeper psychological issues when an adult lets himself go in such a noticeable way...)

[malt25]

What exactly are you TRYING to tell us ?

[Suradit69]

It should be a school admin issue to deal with. Assuming you are not an administrator, why do you want to get involved? If he has " deeper psychological issues" it may not be in everyone's best interest for him to be in a classroom, but again that may be something you are not qualified to decide or act upon no matter your possible good intentions. 

[Solinvictus]

2 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

It should be a school admin issue to deal with. Assuming you are not an administrator, why do you want to get involved? If he has " deeper psychological issues" it may not be in everyone's best interest for him to be in a classroom, but again that may be something you are not qualified to decide or act upon no matter your possible good intentions. 

Exactly.

 

Hell, are none of the foreign staff mature enough to help the person out? Maybe talk to her/him aside about it. If after that and after the already started humiliation they will be getting, if no improvements...Well..who knows...

[neeray]

This is a very delicate and tricky situation. I faced this problem with a top quality, hard-to-replace employee long ago. Did not want to confront it (right or wrong).

Then, a bag containing soap and deodorant appeared on his desk one day. Problem nicely solved.

[1FinickyOne]

It's embarrassing but for the sake of all involved, including the stinker, it is better addressed than not... try to be kindly in manner and that may help as it will be embarrassing for him... 

[taiwanatoa]

Why be "kindly in manner "? People who stink, especially teaching children, should be promptly told that they are offensive and had better clean up their act

[AlexRich]

A can of deodorant on the desk with a polite note ... “you stink” should do the trick.

[samsensam]

 

comes under professional conduct (individual in question and their line manager) and should be dealt with by their line manager, probably the director of studies, or if they are not up to the task then HR.

 

regarding professional conduct this would be one of the easiest i'd have to deal with.

Edited February 18, 2019 by samsensam

[WonnabeBiker]

On 2/9/2019 at 6:11 PM, malt25 said:

What exactly are you TRYING to tell us ?

I guess it's a question. How would  y o u  handle this situation?

 

Be blunt? Ignore the dark storm clouds? - Personally, I would prefer the embarrassment of being told versus having the school gossip.

[Nsp64]

Just tell admin to fire him.

Problem solved. Not a shoulder to cry on here mate. We're all on our own.

[phuketsub]

Be blunt and just tell him. There is not nearly enough shaming going on in present-day societies to keep us all in line.

 

I've had this problem with colleagues in the past and just told them flat out. No problem.