Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/969549
" [Students who stutter] need to get their thoughts out. And we have to be patient enough to listen." — Xena Wickliffe, Fresno Teachers Association Student Kiara Grider in speech therapy with Xena Wickliffe at Norseman Elementary in Fresno. a period of stuttering that lasts six months or longer. ree-quarters of those will recover by late childhood. Teachers are not always sure of the best way to treat a stutterer in their classroom, and taking the wrong approach can worsen the situa- tion, says Eskridge. Bullying can also be an issue. Living with stuttering presents challenges Eskridge's paternal grandmother and father both stuttered, so his family sought therapy immediately. " They wanted me to avoid the torments they went through," he says. "They secured a private therapist who came to my house for a while. I had speech therapy all through public school. Did it help? It certainly did not hurt, but there were no fantastical revolutionary moments that cured me. I guess ever y session helped somewhat, but I pray that current practice in the field has advanced from what was provided for me." Eskridge did not let his condition hold him back from participat- ing in activities while growing up in Hayward and Red Bluff, where he attended high school. He played football, ran track, was a photographer for the school yearbook and newspaper, and sang in concert choir and smaller ensembles. (Research shows that many if not most stutterers sing fluently.) Socially, he held his own, too. "Long after we grad- uated, a high school friend told me that our group of friends didn't mind my stuttering — they just took it in stride. But when anyone from outside our group made fun of me, my friends would quickly and fiercely jump to my defense." Most teachers treated him like any other student — except for one. "My junior high school shop teacher was explaining the tool storage area, looked right at me, and announced to the class, 'If you can't correctly say the name of the tool, you will have trouble here.' I still vividly remember that moment." He sp e n t y e a r s w o rk i n g a s a p h o t o g ra p h e r f o r Fresno area n ew spapers. After v olunteering in hi s children's classroom, he decided to become a teacher. It was a bold move to switch from taking pictures to a job that involves talking all day, but he's been 56 cta.org H E A D Teaching & Learning