The importance of voice care when teaching

Element 4: 

Teachers communicate effectively with their students - Effective communication and classroom discussion.

As teachers, our voices are perhaps our most important teaching tool. As such, it is important that we as teachers reduce risk factors which our voices are exposed to on a daily basis. Otherwise, we cannot comply with Element 4 of the NSW Institute of Teacher’s Professional Teaching Elements –

Element 4: Teachers communicate effectively with their students - Effective communication and classroom discussion.

During both of my primary block placements, I would find at the end of most days I would have a rather sore throat. I attributed this to the fact that I rarely spend a whole day talking and that my body was just having difficulty adjusting. At the end of the four weeks, my voice would be hoarse from four weeks of constant talking. On several of my pracs I have been left with no voice. Up until my voice assessment screening I thought that this was a normal occurrence which all teachers experienced.

I expected the speech pathologist to find nothing wrong with my voice (apart from the occasionaly shrillness of it which seems to run in my family). To my surprise, during my assessment screening I was informed by speech patholgist Vanessa, that when I speak I let out more air than normal. The result of this is a hoarse voice and occasionally a loss of voice when it is subject to a lot of strain. It was an odd revelation for me...to come to the realisation that something I had assumed was a normal occurrence could actually have large negative implications for the future of my career as a teacher. I can only say that this Voice Assessment came at a crucial time in my life, and thankfully I am aware of the problem now so that I can prevent further damage to my voice.
Vanessa suggested a variety of preventative strategies, including:
- Modifying the environment to reduce background noise
- Implementing attention seeking strategies which do not require me to raise my voice
- Drinking water regularly
- Ensuring the room is well lit so that students can gain information through my body language and facial expressions

- Refraining from throat clearing

I intend on implementing the above strategies as I continue to teach in order to prevent further damage or strain to my voice. However, if loss of voice becomes a regular occurrence Vanessa has suggested further diagnostic testing.

Voice Screening Assessment Report

Voice screening assessment report 01

Voice screening assessment report 02