Maintaining Your Vocal Health in the Classroom

Educators are faced with vocal challenges that most other professions are not. As part of the job, we tend to use our voices all day, in difficult circumstances that may include poor acoustics, little air circulation, and distracting ambient noise. Any of these can take a toll on precious vocal cords. It is no great surprise that the National Education Association (NEA) reports that a significant percentage of educators develop a voice disorder at some point during their career. Music teachers in particular tend to have even more vocal challenges than the average educator, since their job is to specialize in sound-producing activities.

Music educators tend to be fearless and talented teachers, cheerleaders, confidence builders, and horizon-expanders for their students—and that’s just what’s involved in an average teaching day. All of those rousing activities can become vocally taxing, especially when it’s cold season or you’re tired, or under stress to prepare for a concert or festival. The good news is that most types of vocal distress can be avoided or minimized with some healthful fixes.

Let’s begin with your overall health. You already know that you should eat right and stay active. Let’s talk about sleep. It’s easy to overlook getting enough sleep, or to think you can just catch up another day. Sleep impacts your well-being in numerous ways. When your body is sleeping, it is also repairing and restoring the body to meet the next day’s challenges. Make it a goal to get enough rest each night. If you smoke, quit. It cannot be emphasized enough how much smoking impacts one’s vocal and general health. Also try to avoid undue stress if possible, as it will inevitably be taxing to your voice. (I know, you’re a music teacher….) Then try the following voice-saving strategies.

Before Teaching

1. Warm up your voice. Some teachers swear by humming in their morning shower. A repeated half step pattern that progressively ascends can easily be done while half asleep, and the humidity is great for the voice! Warming up will give a vocal boost to your day.

In the Classroom

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! This is a cardinal rule. Drink water throughout your day and avoid drying beverages such as coffee, tea, or soda. The goal is to keep the vocal cords comfortably moist and flexible. If you must have a hot drink, try using any of the soothing “throat coat” teas available.
2. Watch your posture. Standing or sitting straight will help give your vocal instrument the optimal, stress-free vessel it needs to produce its best sound.
3. Breathe deeply and support the voice when you speak, not just when you sing. This is super important and so easy to forget to do, particularly when fatigued, but it will take a toll on delicate cords if you don’t. If you are having trouble finding those lower supportive muscles, try panting briefly or take in your breath for a sigh. Either of these will allow you to feel those low abdominal muscles working to support your voice. Then make it a goal to continue to breathe this way while teaching.
4. Use your head voice as much as possible when speaking to your class. Many people, particularly women, tend to speak at an unnaturally low pitch that can cause strain. Think of a modified Julia Child voice, then direct the natural voice up into your forehead area. (Use a vocal descending glissando sigh from a high to low pitch to find the placement, if necessary.) Place the voice higher, and the lighter head voice will be easier to sustain over the course of a work day, week, and semester.

In order to keep these healthful tips in mind, sing the following words to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,”

Warm up, hydrate, posture, support, and head voice speech equals vocal resort!

Caution Ahead!

Now that you have the basic healthy ideas down, be wary of the following common vocal pitfalls.

1. No whispering (or shouting)! As much as possible, stay away from vocal extremes both in and outside the classroom, such as yelling at sports games or whispering, as these tire the voice quickly.
2. Never clear your throat. This is the equivalent of scraping your vocal cords together and can be very damaging. Go gently, swallow to clear them, or drink a soothing beverage.
3. Don’t try to sing all day. When appropriate, find alternatives to vocal modeling for students such as whistling, using recordings, or student models. Pace yourself and try to fit mini-vocal vacations into your day. Talk less, rehearse more.
4. Never try to speak over music. Get the room quiet before launching into instructions or comments. You’ll probably have to repeat them anyway, if you don’t. Call on students to finish your sentences for you. This has the benefit of keeping them involved, helps with assessment, and provides you with a vocal break. Win, win, win!
5. If you still consistently find yourself with a tired voice, consider investing in a small amplification system. You will still need to support your voice, but a microphone can make all the difference, allowing students to hear you better and relieving you from vocal strain.

Finally, remember the joy you had making music as a student. If you can maintain a positive, healthful environment for yourself, your students will be inspired and want to experience music in the way that you hear it and are guiding them. When they can feel your passion for the subject, you won’t have to talk so much to get them motivated and on the right track!