Speak Smarter, Not Harder

Beyond Speech Therapy
Nov 5
2 min read

Voice Talk for Teachers

Why is voice care important for teachers?

Teacher’s are unique - unlike other jobs that rely on mixed communication, nearly 100% of a teacher’s day is spent talking. Because of this, teachers are considered “professional voice users”. Many survey studies have demonstrated that up to 70% of teachers experience negative vocal symptoms (fatigue, strain, discomfort, vocal loss) at some point throughout their career.

Currently in Alberta class sizes are not capped and teachers are often working without enough support. This adds additional vocal strain to classroom management. As we continue to fight for systemic changes in the Alberta Education system we can also advocate for, and acknowledge the potentially very harmful health (voice) implications.

How can we change the way we talk?

There are 3 main things to consider when we think about HOW we talk:

1) BREATH SUPPORT: In order to speak, we use the breath flow from our lungs (as we exhale) to create vibration of the vocal cords, producing sound - if we don’t have air in the lungs, we cannot produce voice.

Think about gas in a car, if the tank is empty the car will not go, and as the tank approaches empty we really have to push and force - this can create strain, tension and fatigue. Learn more about how breath can impact voice in an earlier blog post.

2) BODY ALIGNMENT: There are many muscles that act on the vocal cords and surround the voice box, if any of these muscles are strained or tight it can cause the whole system to come out of postural alignment.

Think of a garden hose, if the hose is twisted and kinked up the water will not flow out easily, similarly your voice will not "flow" effortlessly if your muscular system and speaking posture is out of alignment.

3) VOCAL TISSUE HEALTH: If the tissues of vocal cords are not healthy (hydrated and undamaged) it will change how they move and the effort used to produce voice - this is typically when you’ll notice a change in the sound of your voice (sounding ’husky’ or maybe even losing your voice). Learn more about vocal tissue health and hydration in an earlier blog post.

Think of it this way, when harmful repetitive movement occurs we can get a blister (like the back of your shoe rubbing on your heel). There is no ‘quick fix’ to a blister, similar to how there is no ‘quick fix’ to vocal tissue damage, this is when vocal rest and preventative vocal hygiene become important.

If your voice is not meeting the demands of your teaching career (or any other vocally demanding job) you may benefit from Voice Therapy to explore and practice ways you can speak "smarter".

An effortless voice is an efficient voice, an efficient voice is healthy and long-lasting!