And, it seems to have worked!
Here is link to a video about the program: Whirlpool Care Counts.
As a teacher for nearly 20 years, this is common sense. Students are very conscience about their appearance. They want to be accepted by their peers. So, why won't they care about wearing smelly clothes to school?
As a student teacher working at an alternative middle school in Spokane, Washington, I saw this first hand. I overheard some of the eighth grade students making disparaging comments about another students because he smelled.
So, being perplexed about how to handle this situation, I took it up to my master teacher. He's answer was simple, but was not easy...just talk to him about the smelly issue. Boy! Speaking to a teenager about his body order? I did not look forward to this task...But, being an obedient and trusting student teacher, I did just that.
The problem was this student and his mother were kicked out of their apartment and living in a car. They had no washing machine, let alone money to wash clothes. My solution was to have the student with his parent arrive at school on a Saturday. I opened the school laundry facility (used by the gym for washing towels), and all was better. Better yet, since I was there with the student, I used some of this time to give him some extra help on his school work!
Washing clothes can WORK for students!
Please spread the word. See if your school can do this!!!
Also, looking for lessons or activities to spice up your classroom check out Social Studies Super Store!
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