I have always known I want to teach, but was always hesitant because of the fact that I stutter. I underwent speech therapy but did not find it very helpful. I decided to enter the education program anyways and I really enjoy it and feel that I will be good at it. Someone at school said to me "I never heard of a teacher that stutters, are you sure this is the right carreer for you?" I am starting to think I am in over my head.....
2007-03-17 05:49:02 · 11 answers · asked by mel 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Teaching
Yes I have had a substitute teacher that stuttered. All the kids in my class made fun of him. I got mad at them for it and the ridicule died down. After class i apologized to the sub for what my class had done.
I realized that he had a lot of guts to go up there and put himself out there like that. I guess I respect him for it. So now when he subs for my class everyone likes him. People love him. I guess all it took was one person to stand up and tell the class that they needed to change their perspective on him.
If your dream is to become a teacher, You become a teacher. Just know that you may encounter some kids that won't be so nice. But just think there could be that one kid in class that may have a problem like you and you could change his life forever. You could give him hope that he could do what he wanted as well even though he has a speech problem.
Good luck in your teaching job... I wish you the very best.
2007-03-17 06:03:49 · answer #1 · answered by Varsitykid07 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on how bad you stutter. BEcause I know someone that stutters really bad and he goes for long pauses without being able to say the word he is trying to get out, that is not very good for teaching if you struggle a lot. If you have a slight stutter I wouldnt worry about it. No one speaks perfectly, I have had teachers that clear their throat constantly through the whole lecture, one that sounded like he had a frog in his throat and one that always clicked his tongue all the time. Everyone has their quirks. But you also have to remember that its kids and no matter what theres always going to be the ones that mock you or make fun of it.
2007-03-17 05:57:39 · answer #2 · answered by ehrlich 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have several uncles and cousins who used to stutter. They all got help from The Stuttering Foundation by using their book "Self Therapy for the Stutterer." You can get your own copy or you can check it out from a library. Check out the Foundation's web site at www.stutteringhelp.org and read that information, too. They have online videos, a referral list of stuttering specialists (one of my uncles went to one), and brochures to give to employers that have helped some stutterers get a job.
If you tell your students that you expect them to treat you with respect even though you stutter, and that you will treat them with respect no matter what problems they might have, you will be amazed at your response. If you have to do a presentation in college, act as if the other students are your class that you will have in the future and say the same thing to them. Ignore any giggling girls or snickering guys and act as if you don't hear them. Show them that, even with a speech disfluency, any one can be a good teacher. I haven't run into a stutterer yet who wasn't extremely smart and good at their chosen profession.
There are ways to deal with making sure that a class understands you. Just as speaking takes more effort, patience, and determination for you, thinking of other ways to reach your students will require effort and determination. You will most likely reach a larger percentage of your students because of your stuttering as you know what a hindrance it can be. You will most likely be more understanding of the students who need extra help overcoming a mental block about memorization, an inability to understand math, or the lack of creative ability to be able to produce a poem of their own.
Take the challenge and show the other teachers what you are made of! Have the strength and determination to help all of your students be the best they can be. If someone says "are you sure this is the right career for you?" you can respond with a huge smile and proudly acclaim "yes, are you sure you are in the right career path?"
As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent." Don't let anybody anytime make you feel less than what God means for you to be - a marvelous teacher!!!
2007-03-17 06:49:57 · answer #3 · answered by Bud B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you have a great goal in mind. What grade do you plan on teaching? I think that if you teach high school, some of the students won't be understanding and will have no problem telling you that but at the same time, teaching older children will help them see that despite any difficulties, a person can succeed. You will also have the chance to repeat yourself with the same subject during the course of the day, which can lead to improvement in your speech. If you should teach younger children, you can show them patience and help them to understand that having a problem doesn't mean you have to hide from others. Teaching is the most rewarding career and I commend you for wanting to become a teacher. Don't let others discourage you.
2007-03-17 06:06:23 · answer #4 · answered by lobster17 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can't say that I have ever encountered a teacher that stutters, but I live a pretty sheltered life. :-) I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to teach. So what if there aren't other teachers who stutter (which I am sure that there really are). If you feel you are a capable of it and that is what you really want to do, then do it. As long as your students can learn from you, that is all that you need. Good Luck! :-)
2007-03-17 05:55:18 · answer #5 · answered by Pooky 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am a teacher. I think it is great that you want to teach, but I will tell you that it will be a real uphill battle to get hired to teach in a traditional classroom with a stutter. Part of the job of a teacher is effectively communicating lessons to a class. In traditional classrooms, this involves the use of spoken language. I am sure there are teaching oppportunities out there that would be "do-able" with a stutter.
Good luck teaching if that is truely what you want to do.
2007-03-17 05:57:00 · answer #6 · answered by Mr. G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have an English teacher who stutters when she reads. It gets a little irritating sometimes, especially when you have to write a listening comprehension, but otherwise she's a good teacher.
I guess it depends on how bad you stutter. Just as long as the students will be able to understand what you're saying. Are you sure you want to give up on the therapy?
2007-03-17 05:56:02 · answer #7 · answered by weresheepie 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think you'd be fine. It might give you the air of the absent minded professor. If you worry about the kids mocking you then you might as well give up now. Kids will mock all the teachers behind their back anyway.
You might like to borrow a machine that time delays your speech so that you hear yourself a second or two late. This can break the stuttering behavior.
2007-03-17 05:55:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
My french teacher of last year,stuttred,at the begining no body accepted it,but then the teacher knew how to make every pupil respect him.
It's up to your self estimation,go for it,nothing 's hard.
Even if you stutter,the information you'll give,at the end wil be received!!
At the begining,it will be a quite difficult profession,but seeing that you love that job,you'll DO IT.
Good luck,and have faith in you :)
2007-03-17 05:54:25 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've had a teacher that stuttered.
She was a good teacher, but keep in mind kids can be really mean. She did get mocked.
Unfortunately, I think she gave up after a couple of years.
2007-03-17 05:53:16 · answer #10 · answered by Vegan 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋