The Student with Stammering

 

Case Study 10: The Student with Stammering

How I Learned to Build Confidence Instead of Increasing Anxiety

There was a time in my teaching career when I believed that the best way to help a student overcome a speaking difficulty was to give that student more opportunities to speak.

One student taught me that my approach could sometimes have the opposite effect.

His name was Hasan.

Hasan was a bright and attentive student. He understood lessons quickly, completed his written assignments regularly, and often had thoughtful answers to classroom questions. But whenever he had to speak for a longer period, he struggled with stammering.

His speech would sometimes become interrupted or repeated, particularly when he felt nervous.

I noticed that he was much more comfortable speaking with one or two close classmates. The problem became more obvious when he had to speak in front of the entire class.

At the beginning, I thought frequent practice would help him.

I wanted to support him.

So I began asking him to read aloud regularly.

"Hasan, please read the next paragraph."

He would stand up, hold his book tightly, and begin.

"Th-th-there was..."

He would stop.

Some students looked at him.

I would encourage him.

"Take your time."

He would continue.

But the more frequently I asked him to read aloud, the more anxious he seemed to become.

His hands sometimes trembled.

He avoided eye contact.

He began looking at the textbook long before his turn, apparently trying to prepare himself for the moment I might call his name.

I initially interpreted this as a sign that he needed even more practice.

So I continued.

That was my mistake.

One day, during an English reading activity, I asked Hasan to read a passage. He struggled with the first few sentences. I noticed several students looking at one another.

Although nobody laughed, I could see that Hasan felt uncomfortable.

He stopped reading.

"Sorry, Sir."

I immediately told him to sit down.

After class, I thought carefully about what I had been doing.

My intention had been to build his speaking confidence.

But was I actually building confidence?

Or was I teaching him to associate speaking in public with fear and embarrassment?

That question changed my approach.

The next day, I spoke with Hasan privately.

I told him, "You don't have to be afraid of making mistakes in this classroom. You can take your time."

He nodded.

I then asked him whether he would prefer to volunteer when he felt ready rather than being called on unexpectedly.

He quietly said, "Yes, Sir."

From that point, I stopped forcing him to read aloud without preparation.

Instead, I gave him additional preparation time.

If the class was going to read a passage, I told students in advance which sections they might be asked to read. Hasan could practice privately before participating.

I also introduced voluntary participation.

Students could raise their hands when they felt ready to answer.

This small change made a surprising difference.

Hasan began participating again.

At first, he volunteered only for very short answers.

"Yes, Sir."

"I think the answer is B."

"The character was afraid."

His speech was still sometimes interrupted by stammering, but something important had changed.

He no longer looked terrified.

I also changed the way I responded when he struggled.

Instead of finishing his sentence for him, I waited patiently.

Instead of saying, "Speak quickly," I gave him time.

Instead of correcting his speech in front of everyone, I focused on the content of what he was trying to communicate.

I wanted the classroom to become a safe learning environment, not a place where students felt they had to speak perfectly.

Gradually, Hasan became more comfortable.

A few weeks later, I asked students to work in pairs and discuss a short story. Hasan participated actively with his partner.

Then we moved to small-group discussions.

Later, I invited students to give one-minute presentations. Hasan chose to participate after having enough time to prepare.

He stood in front of the class with his notes in his hand.

His speech was not perfectly fluent.

There were pauses.

There were repeated sounds.

But he continued.

When he finished, the class applauded.

I smiled and said, "Well done, Hasan. You communicated your ideas clearly."

I deliberately praised his courage and preparation rather than pretending that his stammering had somehow disappeared.

Because it hadn't.

And it didn't need to disappear for him to succeed.

That was another important lesson for me.

As teachers, we sometimes become so focused on "fixing" a student's difficulty that we forget to help the student develop confidence despite that difficulty.

Hasan did not suddenly become a fluent speaker.

Instead, he became less afraid of speaking.

That was the real improvement.

Over the following months, he participated more frequently in classroom discussions. He volunteered to read short passages, contributed to group presentations, and occasionally answered questions without preparing beforehand.

One afternoon, after a presentation, he came to me and said:

"Sir, before, I was afraid that everyone would laugh if I couldn't say a word. Now I think, even if I get stuck, I can continue."

I knew then that the biggest change had happened inside him.

His stammering had not defined his ability anymore.

His confidence was beginning to define his participation.

Looking back, I am grateful that I recognized my mistake early enough to change course.

I had believed that repeated public speaking would make him stronger.

Instead, I had increased his anxiety.

What finally helped was patience, preparation time, voluntary participation, positive reinforcement, and a supportive classroom environment.

This experience also taught me that every student deserves dignity in the classroom. A speaking difficulty should never become a reason for embarrassment, teasing, or unnecessary pressure.

Teachers can support students by allowing reasonable preparation time, providing alternative ways to demonstrate understanding, encouraging voluntary participation, and focusing on communication rather than perfection.

If a student struggles with speech or communication, educators should also remember that classroom strategies are not a substitute for professional assessment or speech-language support when such support is needed.

Our role as teachers is to create opportunities for learning while respecting the individual needs of each student.

Hasan reminded me that sometimes the best way to help a student find their voice is to stop demanding that they speak before they are ready.

Lesson Learned: Confidence Grows in a Supportive Classroom

This real classroom case study taught me that student confidence cannot be built through pressure alone. For learners who experience stammering or public speaking anxiety, an inclusive classroom can provide opportunities to participate without fear of embarrassment.

Effective teaching strategies may include voluntary participation, additional preparation time, pair work, small-group activities, positive reinforcement, patient listening, and a safe learning environment.

Most importantly, teachers should focus on what students are communicating rather than defining them by how fluently they speak.

A student's voice does not become valuable only when it is perfectly fluent. Every student deserves the time, patience, and respect needed to be heard.