Finding Your Voice As A Teacher

As a teacher, your voice is your livelihood. Look after and develop it and it will look after you. But neglect it at your peril, says Sue Cowley...

When I think back to myself as a new teacher, and then I consider the way I teach now, one of the biggest changes I have made is in the way that I use my voice. As teachers, we are classed as ‘professional voice users’ – just like actors. Our voice is our instrument. The more highly skilled we become at ‘playing’ that instrument, the better our children will learn. We use our voices to explain concepts and techniques, to give instructions, to help the children focus. We use our voices to manage a class, to encourage better social skills, and to build relationships with children and parents. At the same time, we absolutely must protect our voices. We should guard against over use, vocal strain and, of course, the well-known hazard of droning on endlessly at a class.

If you think about the voices of some well-known figures, you can see how we react differently to them, according to how they sound. A lesson spent with Professor Brian Cox would feel very different to one taught by Jeremy Paxman. One of the key lessons I have learned over the years is to hear myself as I speak – to step outside myself and consider how my voice sounds to others. By doing this, I can adapt what I am saying, and the way that I am saying it, to suit the people I am teaching.

One of the most exciting aspects of being a teacher is the chance to use your voice in imaginative and creative ways. When you first become a teacher there is so much else to worry about that it is hard to focus on something as subtle as voice usage. But as we gain in experience and become more relaxed and confident in the classroom, we begin to experiment with tone, volume, pace and pitch. You notice how you can psych up a class by using a rapid, excited voice, and calm them down (literally to the point of sleep) by using a soothing monotone.

Tone of voice is a crucial part of your vocal repertoire. The younger the children you work with, the more tone you can put into your voice. To engage your children, you might sound excited, curious or puzzled. To ensure that your children behave, you could sound disappointed or surprised when they don’t do as you’ve asked. Tone is particularly vital if you work with children who have English as an additional language. When children don’t understand all the words someone says, they focus in on the speaker’s tone of voice to give them vital clues and cues. As an added bonus, the more use you make of tone, the more vivid your facial expressions become.

Pace is another fascinating area of vocal technique. Not only the pacing of sentences, but the speed with which we say the individual words. I love to imagine words as being like chewing gum –

When thinking about voice usage, it’s important to acknowledge the difference between students who appear to be listening and students who have actually heard and understood what you said. When you are new to the profession it is tempting to believe that, since you have said it, the children have learned it. But the cries of “What did you say again?” and “I don’t get it!” underline the truth. They zoned out. Not only must we say what we need to say, we must say it in a way that engages the children’s attention.

Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned over the years is that I must take care of my voice. You only have one voice, and there is no replacement if it gets damaged or broken. When I work with trainees and new teachers, I’m constantly surprised to discover how few of them have had vocal training. If you find yourself getting lots of sore throats, ask your school if you can do a voice training course. One final tip on the subject: do as much ‘speaking’ as you can without using your voice. Use your face, your body, hand gestures, and signals, a xylophone, and you’ll be amazed at how much information you can get across, without saying a single word.

About the author

Sue Cowley is an experienced teacher, author and presenter. Her mini guide, The Seven P’s of Brilliant Voice Usage, is available on Amazon.