Do you talk too much?

In this article, researchers have shown that teachers talk too much which often leads to damage of their vocal cords. The article reports that teachers use their voice 25% of the time which is almost twice the national average.

I know that for myself, I tell my students I refuse to talk over them. However, in those moments when I have to be louder than them, I still will not strain my voice. Instead I harken back to the days of singing and use my diaphragm to push my voice to get louder. My students are usually pretty amazed that I can get as loud as I can because I'm not a very big person. One of my co-teachers is pretty tall and can get pretty loud. The students expect it from her. The first time I employ my technique, usually the students will all stop what they're doing and look at me in amazement. My regular speaking voice is not loud so I just don't think they expect me to ever be louder than them.

One of our P.E. teachers has a small mic that she uses to speak to her students. She found that she was straining her voice and often left at the end of the day sounding very hoarse. I think that some people are more prone to losing their voice than others. My mom and my youngest have this tendency. However, I think that just like professional singers who use their voice as a way to earn a living, as teachers, we also need to be mindful of not doing damage to our vocal cords. My suggestion is that if you find that your throat is hurting by the end of the day or you're constantly trying to talk over your students, you need to try to develop another method to get their attention.

Your ability to talk to your students is just as valuable as a singer performing in front of an audience. When you feel your voice is becoming strained, give it a break. You really don't want to be forced into early retirement because you can no longer talk without sounding like Bea Arthur, do you?