Educators work diligently at writing lesson plans, meeting
standards, and creating a warm classroom environment, but sometimes we neglect one of our most
valuable tools, our voices. At the
beginning of our careers, teachers often experience difficulty with vocal
problems. Caring for your vocal health
is important. We are professional voice
users just like actors and singers. Just
like professional actors and singers, when a teacher loses the ability to
vocalize, we are not able to do our jobs.
We are required to talk for many hours a day and usually in poor
acoustic environments with stagnant air.
As a result, teachers are at great risk for occupational-related voice
disorders. According to Michael J. Pitman, M.D., Director of the Voice and
Swallowing Institute at New York Eye and Ear, 58 percent of teachers will
develop a voice disorder in their lifetime, compared to 20 percent of people in
the general population.
Teachers are not the only ones affected. A 2004 study suggests that students don’t learn
as well when their teacher has a raspy voice.
Steven Sims, M.D., Director of the Chicago Institute for Voice Care
explains “Human beings learn best with a pure auditory signal. When a teacher
has nodules or swelling on the vocal cords, or when their voices are hoarse,
students don’t perceive that signal as well, so they miss a portion of what the
teacher is saying.”
There are steps teachers can take to lower their risk for a
vocal disorder and minimize the impact on their students.
1. Stay hydrated. Moisture lubricates the vocal cords. Sip water throughout the day so the mucus you
make is thin and protective of the vocal cords.
Eight glasses of water is a good goal.
Limit coffee, tea, soda, alcohol, and other dehydrating drinks.
2. Warm up the voice. Before students arrive in the morning,
make siren noises to gently move the larynx up which causes the vocal cords to
vibrate gently at a higher frequency. Gently glide back and forth between the
highest and lowest pitches you can make.
Make buzzing sounds to get the lips moving and prepare the speech
muscles for phonation. On your way to
work, sing a favorite song in the car. It might improve your mood as well!
3. Utilize a few
non-verbal classroom management techniques. Practice signals with your class
to communicate routines instead of always using your voice. Use student leaders
to lead group exercises and student discussion.
4. Avoid clearing
your throat and coughing. Coughing
and throat clearing slam the vocal folds together so hard that over time they
swell, causing hoarseness. Break the cycle of throat clearing and coughing by
sipping water to clear the mucus. To
relax the voice, try blowing bubbles through a straw into your water bottle.
5. Stand tall.
Good posture will not only affect the way you are viewed and
received by your students, but it will also help you speak well. The position of the head and neck can create
significant tension in the speaking voice.
Keep the chin level with the floor.
Avoid dropping it forward toward the chest, and do not lean your head
back or jut the chin out from the body.
Everyone has tension points in the body.
Find yours and work to eliminate or at least minimize them. Tension anywhere in the body will negatively
affect your voice.
6. Protect your voice outside the classroom. Avoid smoky environments which irritate
the vocal folds. If you are having vocal
problems, do not yell at sporting events.
Find other ways to support your team until your voice heals. Get plenty of sleep. Consider a vocal “time-out” at the end of
your teaching day to rest the voice for at least an hour.
Your voice is one of your most important teaching
assets. Protect it, and it will serve
you well.
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