I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!

[CarlosAlberto]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#1

Posted: 11/26/13 at 2:18pm

A pre-K teacher in Buffalo seems to have handled a delicate situation not so delicately. Parents of students at the Build Academy are outraged after the teacher sent a note home complaining that some of her students were wearing dirty clothes and smelling bad. "URGENT NOTICE!!!" the handwritten letter sent to all parents in the class read. After griping about the odor, the letter continued, "It is a health and safety concern. It also makes it difficult for me to be close to them or even want to touch them. Enough said."

What in the world was this teacher thinking when she decided to send out that letter?
A BIG STINK IN BUFFALO

[artscallion]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#2

Posted: 11/26/13 at 2:35pm

Three things that annoy me about this letter.
-She's a teacher and uses "unkept" which more commonly refers to property, instead of the more appropriate "unkempt" which is used when referring to people.
-She uses the phrase "enough said" which, earlier this week in the "words I Hate" thread, I described as one that makes my teeth itch.
-that the people who will be running the world when I'm old and dependent on them are in the hands of morons like this.

Art has a double face, of expression and illusion.

[BudFrump23]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#3

Posted: 11/26/13 at 2:58pm

I'm kind of on the fence with this situation. I do think the letter was poorly phrased (and agree about the enough said) - but she wrote it to all parents and didn't single out any specific children, which is a better way to do things in my book. I think those parents that doth protest too much may be the ones who need to take better care of their children. The teacher could have gone straight to child services and reported the situation. We also have no information on whether she spoke with the principal or other school officials before handling this in her own way. She may not have handled this in the best way, but I'm wondering how others would handle such a situation.

I'm as jumpy as a virgin at a prison rodeo!

Updated On: 11/26/13 at 02:58 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#4

Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:05pm

Substandard grammar and punctuation aside (how about a comma, Ms. Teacher?), I object to the fact that the letter seems more about her than about the kids.

It seems written with the goal of angering the parents, not addressing a problem.


Updated On: 11/26/13 at 03:05 PM

[CarlosAlberto]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#5

Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:07pm

I guarantee you if she would have discussed this with her superiors that that letter would have never gone out. They would have come up with a more politically correct solution to address the problem. That letter was not only unprofessional but also disrespectful not only to the parents but to her students.

She should know better, she is an EDUCATOR. But it seems to me the only one who needs educating is the EDUCATOR.

[BudFrump23]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#6

Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:14pm

I'm still curious to know - how would you have handled the situation?

I'm reminded of an instance when I was in elementary school and a schoolmate came into the classroom with head lice - four times throughout the year. A notice went home to all parents alerting them that a student had been found with lice and to "make sure your child is clean and rid of lice." Would a letter of that sort, maybe by the nurse, have been more appropriate?

I'm as jumpy as a virgin at a prison rodeo!

Updated On: 11/26/13 at 03:14 PM

[artscallion]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#7

Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:14pm

Using a mass mailing to reach a specific few parents will only cause more of a problem. Now EVERYONE is aware of what could have been handled discretely with a few carefully delivered notes to the specific parents involved. No child need be singled out. The notes should go directly to the parents. By doing it this way, everyone will be trying to find/figure out who exactly she's referring to. This is bound to lead to the little stinkers being outed at some point now that such a big to do has been made of it.

Art has a double face, of expression and illusion.

Updated On: 11/26/13 at 03:14 PM

[artscallion]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#8

Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:21pm

Bud, the lice letter is a pretty standard practice. It's handled that way because lice will spread to the other kids so ALL parents have to be made aware that lice were found.
In this case, only the offending parents need to be aware. There's no reason to bring unaffected parents into the situation unless the teacher was afraid to deal with the individual parents directly. But by the sound of her letter, she doesn't seem like the shy type.

Art has a double face, of expression and illusion.

[jasonf]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#9

Posted: 11/26/13 at 5:19pm

As a teacher myself, I understand where she was coming from. I've dealt with students who are unkempt, smell bad, are dirty, etc. Generally speaking, though, we handle such kids by talking to the nurse. The nurse will then speak to the child and, if needed, call the parents at home.

What we don't know is whether or not the teacher tried this. She is a veteran teacher, it seems like standard practice would be to go through the building nurse. If she had done that and nothing was done, I could understand possibly taking the step of sending a letter home to the parents.

Of course, sending one home with all those incorrect uses of language doesn't win her any points...

Hi, Shirley Temple Pudding.

[BudFrump23]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#10

Posted: 11/26/13 at 5:26pm

Thanks jasonf for giving a possible solution. That seems like what she should have done as a step one. I do think both the teacher and parents are to blame. While we may find fault with the teacher's letter, let us also look to why she had to send the letter.

I'm as jumpy as a virgin at a prison rodeo!

[JerseyGirl2]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#11

Posted: 11/27/13 at 12:26am

She handled the situation very poorly, but perhaps she was driven temporarily insane by the funk of children. It's possible. It's awful to have a smelly kid in your class. If they need help, you honestly don't want to go near them. I have never complained, though. You just push through the ick.

Pretty pretty please don't you ever ever feel like you're less than f**ckin' perfect!

[Gothampc]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#11

Posted: 11/27/13 at 10:04am

Is this even the teacher's role? Isn't there a principal that handles matters like this?

If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

[dreaming]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#12

Posted: 11/27/13 at 10:07am

This was clearly handled very, very poorly.

That said, I used to teach and did have some kids who had problems with odor. You have to be very careful how you handle it (unfortunately, one kid got picked on-and that was a problem). I think she could have addressed it better (how? I'm not sure. I had conferences with my teaching partner (we worked in pairs) and we both discussed the issue privately with the parents involved, so that it was not a public issue.)

[Jane2]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#13

Posted: 11/27/13 at 10:16am

My view on this, having been a teacher, is: First of all, the grammar used in the letter read like Shakespeare, compared to what I saw where I taught. It's unfortunate but true.

Secondly, the teacher should have initially consulted with the school nurse. That's what's done in health matters. The nurse should know how to address the situation, as this is what they come across pretty frequently.

If that doesn't "fix" the problem, it is again up to the school nurse to follow up.

<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES

[winston89]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#14

Posted: 11/27/13 at 11:45am

To me, this shows that the teacher doesn't have things under control. Either that or she doesn't know her support systems in the school she's working in. One thing that I have learned from working as a TA in a pre school setting is this. That no matter what environment or age group your working in, when it comes to working with kids, there's a support system in place. And, that sometimes reporting bad news (like the kid smells, in this situation) should be told to the parents from someone who isn't with the kids every moment and who's job it is to be the "bad guy" sometimes.

"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear" Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll

[artscallion]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#15

Posted: 11/27/13 at 11:52am

"...should be told to the parents from someone who isn't with the kids every moment and who's job it is to be the "bad guy" sometimes."

This makes sense, Winston. It removes the emotion from the situation, on the part of the school anyway.

Art has a double face, of expression and illusion.

[Jane2]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#16

Posted: 11/27/13 at 2:58pm

That "bad guy" is the nurse.

<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES

[artscallion]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#17

Posted: 11/27/13 at 3:03pm

Is there a BWW nurse? Maybe they can call the parents of a few stinkers around here.

Art has a double face, of expression and illusion.

[Jane2]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#18

Posted: 11/27/13 at 3:16pm

HAHAHA, funny, scallion!

<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES

[javero]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#19

Posted: 12/3/13 at 6:52pm

Wow, this thread smells like teen spirit

#FactsMatter...your feelings not so much.

[Bettyboy72]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#20

Posted: 12/3/13 at 7:46pm

Most parents nowadays are a@#holes. They got off easy. Her grammar sucks, but filthy kids are unacceptable.

"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal "I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello

[StockardFan]

I Don't Want Your Dirty, Smelly Children in MY Classroom!!#21

Posted: 12/3/13 at 8:47pm

In my opinion, the letter should have come from the administration and/or school nurse. Now there are hard feelings between the parents and the teacher, and a very long school year ahead.

KFTC!!!!!