TEACHER STRATEGIES FOR SAVING THEIR VOICES

written by Stu Ryan, University of West Florida; Michael Maina, Roanoke College in Salem, VA

One of the most frequent occupational groups that seek medical advice for issues associated with voice injury and overuse are teachers (Roy, Merrill, Thibeault, Gray, & Smith, 2004) and teachers take up a substantial proportion of a voice therapist's caseload. A survey of 19 speech and language therapists yielded a higher incidence of teachers referred for voice therapy than nonteachers (Morton & Watson, 1998). Contributory factors to teacher’s vocal problems include prolonged voice use, background noise, extensive talking at loud levels, and exposure to viruses (Morton & Watson, 1998).

Studies have shown that a large number of teachers have reportedly experienced an assortment of vocal symptoms such as vocal fatigue, dry throat, tightness, and sore throat (Roy, et al., 2004). Additional symptoms include inflammation and infection in the voice box which causes swelling that can lead to hoarseness and a raspy-sounding voice. Acid reflux and postnasal drip from allergies can also aggravate the vocal cords, and dehydration causes a decrease in the production of enough mucous to keep the vocal cords lubricated and working well.

Due to the common occurrence of voice problems in teachers, there should be an apprehension that voice strain can infringe on teacher effectiveness (Smith, Lemke, Taylor, Kirchner, & Hoffman, 1998). Voice problems have adverse effects on teaching activities, teaching performance, communicative ability, and emotion. These lead to a lesser quality of teaching and increased absenteeism (Roy, Merrill, Thibeault, Parsa, Gray, & Smith, 2004).

Teachers may even be forced to end their career because of vocal difficulties (Smith , Gray, Dove, Kirchner, & Heras, 1997). Additionally, student teachers, who are mainly young individuals at the beginning of their teaching careers, reported a high occurrence of voice complaints (Kooijman, de Jong, Thomas, Huinck, Donders, Graamans, & Schutte, 2006). Female teachers were also more likely to report voice problems during their teaching careers than male teachers (Russell, Oates, & Greenwood, 1998).

Typical classroom teachers are faced with many voice concerns, however physical education teachers are faced with poor acoustically designed gymnasiums, covered areas, and loud outdoor teaching environments which are more challenging than a typical indoor classroom (Ryan, 2009a). Shouting instructions over noises is common in physical education settings. In addition, acoustic issues in physical education settings (Ryan, 2009a; Ryan, Grube, & Mokgwati, 2010; Ryan & Mendell, 2010) strongly suggest the need for strategies to reduce vocal strain among physical education teachers.

In a 2010, 200 K-12 physical education teachers located at public schools from five school districts in south, central, and northwest Florida were asked to take a voice survey. The survey design consisted of 28 questions which addressed three components of this problematic phenomenon in addition to frequency of occurrence; consequences of voice problems, strategies for prevention of problems, and potential risk factors. One of the questions was opened ended and asked what strategies the teacher used to save or protect their voice while teaching. The physical education teachers gave a variety of helpful responses which were grouped into four categories including technology, non-verbal, organization, and prevention and treatment. Below are some of the responses from the teachers.

• "I have used a megaphone and that helps. Also, I stand still until they are quiet."
• "Whistle."
• "I use a bull-horn when outside and microphone when in the cafeteria."
• "Microphone and amplifier are lifesavers while teaching outside."
• "I use the whistle to signal children. I have also gone to using a megaphone all the time while under the covered area and on the field to save my voice."
• "When in the large field I use a megaphone."
• "Overhead teaching, film review lessons, group projects, library computer research."
• "During the first week of school, I use the Elmo, overhead projector and video to alleviate talking so much when reviewing rules, procedures, etc."

Physical education teachers often have to project their voices at great distances (Ryan & Yerg, 2001) which have been shown to cause significant voice problems (Smith et al., 1998). Many of the teachers surveyed suggested using some type of sound amplification (pa systems) device to help protect their voice. There is an increasing body of research and information relating to the use and effectiveness of sound amplification in classrooms and in physical education settings (Flexer, Richards, Buie, & Brandy, 1994; Mendel, Roberts, & Walton, 2003; Ryan et al., 2002). Ryan et al. (2002) found that a PA system used by the teacher in a physical education setting helped to reduce off-task behavior in elementary students and reduced management time at the beginning of class (Ryan, 2009b).

Non-Verbal

• "Stop talking until they get quiet."
• "Hand signals and whistle signals."
• "I do not begin to speak until the students are quiet, including my double classes."
• "Clap to get attention, students repeat, then I say if you can hear me (in a soft voice) clap 2 times, then keep repeating it until I get their attention and my voice level is at the decibel level I desire."
• "Hand signal, eye contact, whistle."
• "I give all information out in group formation and use my whistle."

Teachers can give too many verbal commands, which can result in students them tuning them out. Using nonverbal techniques like those mentioned above are effective means of communication without overloading students with a profusion of words and, in turn, stressing your voice. Nonverbal techniques also help with ESOL students. Using these types of techniques to manage your class more efficiently may also help save your voice.

Organizational

• "Give instruction with students in close proximity and wait till they are quiet."
• "Use student leaders for stretching. Demand attentiveness of students."
• "If I ever have help with another teacher we alternate classes to teach so the other person can rest their voice."
• "Have students echo the instructions. Select certain students to start or stop activity on my command."
• "Gather students as a group to prevent having to yell."
• "Bring the class in to speak about the activity that we are about to do."
• "Explain and demonstrate in whole group setting, separate into groups, then reassemble to explain and demo anything else."
• "Using the whistle, clapping signal, have students sit in front of me when I need to tell them something."
• "Cue Cards, Stations."
• "Sitting class together near me so that I don't have to raise my voice. Circulating instead of yelling across the field. Having students relay information for me to students farther away from me."
• "It's difficult, but occasionally I have all the students sit close together so I can talk to them, but I cannot do that most of the time."

Organizing students during a lesson could provide teachers with opportunity to rest their voice while still being effective. Keeping students in close proximity, while giving instructions and feedback, not only rests the voice but helps to reduce off-task behavior and gives students needed personal feedback (Graham, 2008). In addition, rather than shouting over a large area during activity time, quickly bring students in for instruction and group feedback, and then disperse them. The "corner-up" is another method (Trout & McColl, 2007) which organizes students for close group instruction and uses the student's voices to the teacher's advantage.

Prevention and Treatment

• "Sometimes drink water, etc."
• "Hot tea, refrain from yelling (when applicable)."
• "I use candy to keep it from being so dry."
• "Clearing of throat often."
• "I try to drink a lot of water. It was also recommended by a specialist that I use throat lozenges."
• "Over the years I have begun to project more from the chest and diaphragm, and less from the throat."

Young children spend between 45% and 60% of their school day in listening activities (Butler, 1975), and a good listening environment in schools is essential to cognitive, social, speech, and language development (Leung & McPherson, 2006). Taking care of your voice is critical to a teacher and to the learning process. Listed below are five steps from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (2010) teachers should take to protect their voice.

1. Limit your intake of drinks that include alcohol or caffeine which dries out the voice. Drink plenty of water and use a humidifier in your home. This is especially important in winter or in dry climates. Thirty percent humidity is recommended.
2. Practice good breathing technique with deep breaths from the diaphragm. Talking from the throat, without supporting breath, puts a great strain on the voice.
3. Avoid eating spicy foods. Spicy foods can cause stomach acid to move into the throat or esophagus (reflux).
4. Exercise regularly which helps provide good posture and breathing, which are necessary for proper speaking. Then make sure you get enough rest. Physical fatigue has a negative effect on voice.
5. Consider voice therapy. A speech-language pathologist who is experienced in treating voice problems can provide education on healthy use of the voice and instruction in proper voice techniques.

Outdoor physical education classes are often subjected to road traffic, airplanes, area construction, lawn maintenance, school air conditioners, other physical education classes, recess activities, and wind (Ryan & Mendel, 2010) which may further contribute to the development of voice problems. Ryan (2010) viewed physical education settings as "hostile listening environments" and have the potential to damage teacher's voices. Physical education teachers clearly need education, prevention, and treatment programs to hopefully reduce voice problems in the future.

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