Voice of reason

Voice of reason

The voice is the most effective tool of the teacher's trade. Susan Clark asks teachers about their vocal problems and gets advice from the professionals on how to protect that most valuable of educational assets

Sore throats and husky voices are an occupational hazard for teachers. Come Friday afternoon, many in the profession will be going home to sip lemon and honey or suck on a lozenge. They'll spend the weekend resting up, only to return to work on the Monday and spend the next five days bashing their voice once more. But how many teachers could teach effectively without their voice?

More than having 'flu or an upset stomach, laryngitis or loss of voice means there is not a great deal of point in going to work in the morning.

"We deal with around 500 enquiries a year," says Roz Comins, co-ordinator of Voice Care Network (VCN), set up by a group of voice specialists 10 years ago to help teachers protect their most valuable asset.

"We know from experience that teachers are one of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to voice problems. In 1992, we did a study in which we found that around one in 10 teachers could be a patient at a voice clinic."

The charity has been updating its figures since September 2002 by carrying out a straw poll of voice clinics from around Britain. Of the 3,000 voice patients that have been surveyed so far, around 12 per cent have been teachers.

"With a teaching population that makes up just 1.5 per cent of the whole population, to have 11 per cent of clinic patients from the profession illustrates how real the problem is," continues Mrs Comins.

The problems

Teachers have to use their voice almost all day, whether speaking to the whole class, small groups or individuals. However, it's not just the amount of talking that the job demands that puts a strain on the voice - indeed a healthy, well-trained voice will work well under even the toughest conditions. Instead, the main problem is the rapid changes in volume that a teacher has to utilise throughout the day.

There aren't many professions that demand a person to go, on a regular basis and within a split second, from talking at a normal level to shouting across the classroom. It's the sudden change that wreaks havoc with vocal cords.

Other bad vocal habits include throat-clearing, which bashes the vocal cords together; failure to lubricate the throat and mouth; talking too quickly, leading to inadequate breathing which causes tension in the chest and strain on the voice; speaking or singing in too high or deep a pitch and using a forced whisper.

Mrs Comins even met one special needs teacher whose voice was being put under unnecessary strain because she smiled too much, causing tension in her mouth and throat.

"Trying to 'push' the voice when it is tired or poorly lubricated or frequent throat-clearing can set up a vicious circle with excessive mucus production, muscle fatigue and discomfort," explains Linda Preston, a speech and language therapist working in Brighton. "Teachers then struggle to use a strained voice which exacerbates the situation further."

Jacqui Cobb, a primary school teacher at St Mary's Catholic School in Bognor Regis, admits her refusal to give in to her sore throat simply made matters worse.

"I had sinus problems before I went into teaching, but it got worse once I started. The job aggravated the weakness," she says. "Within the first year, I was suffering sore throats and hoarseness. But I kept on struggling rather than take time off. You do, because you feel guilty."

Mrs Cobb eventually had to have an operation on her sinuses, but by then her throat was damaged. And she wasn't the only one at her school having difficulties.

Her colleague Hilary Ayton, a special needs teacher, found that after teaching for many years she could no longer project her voice comfortably when dealing with a large group of children. Meanwhile,

Paula Willis, a newly qualified teacher (NQT) at the school, claims that she had little training in voice control at college.

"The most vulnerable teachers are newly qualified teachers who have had little training in voice awareness, or those teachers who have been doing the job for 15 or 20 years and who suddenly find their voice wearing out," warns Mrs Comins.

Voice protection

However, there are practical steps that teachers can take to protect their voice:

First, the VCN advocates that it is imperative that the early warning signs - tenderness in the throat, pain on swallowing and increased mucus production - are heeded. These may just herald the start of a cold but they may presage something more serious. In these circumstances, it is best to rest the voice as much as possible.

Moreover, proper breathing and sufficient throat lubrication are paramount in keeping the voice healthy. Poor breathing comes from the chest and neck; instead, remember to breathe deeply, using the abdominal muscles. In addition, always have a glass of water to hand in the classroom to soothe the throat.

Poor acoustics also put unnecessary strain on the voice. One way of dealing with this is to rearrange the classroom to suit your vocal needs.

All three of the teachers interviewed from Bognor Regis attended free workshops with the VCN, provided by the West Sussex Healthy School Programme and run by VCN member Lesley Hendy.

Over a six-week period, they were taught how to use their voices correctly and effectively. At the end of the course all three reported a marked improvement in their voice and an absence of sore throats.

"It gave us the skills we needed to project our voices and protect the weakness that we had," explains Mrs Cobb.

West Sussex is so pleased with the results of the workshop, it has arranged another course that will take a group of teachers on a journey of vocal awareness. Other authorities are following suit.

Meanwhile, the VCN is working to put the voice higher up on the profession's agenda and to ensure that, in the long run, teachers know how to protect their voices before they start work.

Further information:

Voice Care Network

tel. 01926 864000

This content was published in January 2003 and may not reflect current policy