Stuttering

I think it is safe to say that the majority of my class put this simulation off for last because of how awkward it is to have a stutter. I finally had the courage to stutter while ordering a smoothie. I stumbled over the name of the smoothly, responded slowly to her questions, and repeated myself several times. It got to the point that if she asked me a yes or no question, I just shook my head because if I had a real stutter, I would have resorted to that to save myself from further embarrassment.

This simulation gave me a small idea of how some of my students might feel in the classroom when I call on them and ask them to give me an answer. One thing that could help these students to feel more comfortable would be to have them share their answer with their elbow partner, instead of having them answer in front of the whole class.

The reoccurring theme for me this semester through all of the simulations is the amount of patience it requires to have these impairments or disorders. I needed to be patient with myself as I tried to read with only one eye. I needed to be patient as I tried to push open a door while sitting in a wheelchair, only to have it come right back at me. I needed to be patient while I tried to speak without the letters n and l. And the people around me needed to be patient as I spoke slowly and repeated words.

As a future educator, I want to be more patient with my students and help my students to be patient with each other. In today's fast paced society, it seems to be almost a thing of the past, but I think it is a virtue that needs to be remembered and that will help create a safe classroom environment for my students.