But she soon found out that family troubles are not confined to urban areas, that even relatively affluent suburban communities like Smithfield have a fair share of heartache at home. In follow-up interviews, teachers across the state said many students have difficulty concentrating in the classroom because their lives are so chaotic, as a result of divorce, neglect or poverty. A few years ago, he had a student whose sisters and cousins were molested by their mother's live-in boyfriend. Years ago, he had a student whose father sexually assaulted her and burned her arms when she refused to change the television channel. Substance abuse among parents is not uncommon.
Some kids wear the same soiled clothes to school every day.
Some rarely shower. One of Waterous's students smelled so bad the other kids in the classroom refused to sit next to him. Not long ago, Waterous ran into a parent at a convenience store and asked her why her son wasn't doing his homework. Social problems are everywhere. Teachers know it.