Part 2. A Healthy Voice presentation

Introduction and problem identification

The voice is the primary tool of trade for the teaching profession. But the voice also reveals much about us: aspects of health, age, emotion and mood.

What we know about the voice comes from many disciplines:

• speech-language pathology;
• medicine;
• science (mention a science teacher in your school);
• vocal music (name the choir director in your school);
• acting and theatre. (A teacher in Denver recently defined a teacher as, "... an actor — without the benefit of voice training".)

Statistics
It is believed that 7.5 million people have diseases or disorders of the voice.

Teachers — are you ready for this? — are a whopping 32 times more likely to be plagued with voice difficulties than people in other professions. This is according to a recent study. In fact, if you look at the professions of all the people who seek care in voice centers, teaching is represented most often. Isn't this unfortunate in a profession where communication between you and your students is absolutely key?

Another study showed that as many as one-half of all teachers experienced a voice disorder at some time in their professional lives (compared to 4-6 percent of the general population).

There are many reasons why teachers are at vocal risk. I suspect some of these will be no surprise to you.

TEACHERS
…use their voices more each day than most other professionals (to underscore this point, go through the optional exercise demonstrating how teachers out-perform athletes);

…have little time to recover from their vigorous daily voice use;

…are constantly exposed to germs, viruses and upper respiratory infections;

…increase their vocal volume to accommodate their students' need to hear;

…are exposed to environmental factors like: chalk dust, dusty ventilation systems, low humidity, molds, and chemicals (from chemistry, art, and shop classes);

…work in rooms with poor acoustic conditions that are filled with competing sound reflections and background noise;

…knowing that children have less language experience (as compared to adults) may increase their volume so that their students hear every word;

…may not have been trained in healthy methods of speaking (few people are). So, when teachers have a voice problem, they may be unsure how to seek help.

Is it surprising that many teachers' vocal systems cannot withstand this demand?

Some good news: Help has arrived

A website, called the Voice Academy, builds the bridge between the latest scientific findings about voice and the group of professional voice users who need this information on a daily basis - school teachers.

Website tour and demonstration

1. We will begin by logging onto www.voiceacademy.org to view the homepage. Take a moment to look at the choices.

2. When you journey through the site on your own, you will likely start at the "Newcomer" link. You will be welcomed and invited to register in the Main Office. Like a play, this sets the stage for your learning experience.

3. If you return to the homepage, you may select the "FAQ" link. This is an easy way to get an idea of what the website is all about. (On-line users, you may wish to select a question or two to read to the group.)

4. Head back to the homepage one last time. Choose the "Demonstration" link.

This is a sample of one of 10 rooms in the Voice Academy, the Gymnasium. Here you explore the concept that teachers are vocal athletes and taking good care of your body keeps your voice in tiptop shape.

(On-line users: Read the text block aloud to orient the group to the inner workings of the website. If you have audio capabilities, you may also demonstrate the "What does a glottal click sound like?") If time permits, have audience members shout out their responses to the "caffeine quiz"; have fun with this!

This brief tour thus far has shown us: 1) the homepage; 2) frequently asked questions and their answers; and 3) a quick tour of the Gymnasium. Are you beginning to capture the flavor of what the Voice Academy is all about?

Let's sit back for a moment to find out what else this website has to offer. (Turn back to the homepage.) If this format is not for you, you can always choose the "text only" option. Information in the website is available here in a printer-friendly, low tech format. (Show where this link is located.)

Are you interested in the other rooms of the Voice Academy?

Here is an overview:

The Nurse's Office contains information about voice disorders and helps teachers sort out when they should seek out one-on-one medical care and when to try to work through voice problems on their own.

The Media Center describes amplification systems. For many teachers, a portable or wireless system gives their voices just the vocal boost it needs to get them through the day. Advancing technology makes these systems portable, easy to use and increasingly economical.

In the Auditorium, we delve into the field of theatre voice. Here, you can learn how stage actors warm up and effectively project their voices all the way to the last row of the theatre. A teacher can use these same methods in the classroom.

You will learn about vocal fatigue in — where else? — the Teachers' Lounge. Brand new research about the occupational voice demands of teaching is presented here.

The Acoustically Friendly and Unfriendly Classrooms give you quick messages about how the physical features of a classroom either ease or add to the teacher's vocal burden.

Building these imaginary walls around voice information will help you through the material in a series of sessions. We know teachers are busy people who may appreciate having information broken down into manageable pieces.

Just like a thumbprint, every voice is unique. The website has been customized, in a sense, for you. Soon after entering the website, newcomers are encouraged to answer a questionnaire about their lifestyle habits and vocal symptoms. Feedback from this questionnaire provides you with a quick snapshot of your current vocal health status and also suggests a route through the school. Your personalized navigation route will take you first to the rooms with the information you need most

Now, are you ready for a change of pace? Let's stand and try an exercise presented in Voice Academy. This one is designed to eliminate stress in your upper body. Stress is an enemy of healthful voice production.

This is called a spine tingler: First, align your body: stand with your legs about hip distance apart, with your weight balanced equally. Intertwine your fingers of both hands. Place them on the back of your skull just above the neck. Without tensing your shoulders or holding your breath, equally pull forward with your arms and push backward with your head steadily for 10-20 seconds. Release, and take a deep breath. You can do this several times each day to release tension for easy, well-supported voicing.

While you are standing, how about trying an easy vocal warm-up that stage actors use before a performance? Simply take a deep breath through the nose to warm and moisten it. Do you feel your diaphragm drop and your lungs expand? If you are taking in a full breath, your chest and shoulders should not rise.

Now gently hum on an easy middle pitch as you breathe out. The hum should make an "mmmm" sound, as if you are thinking of a tasty food. Allow the hum to "float" on your expired air.

Take another breath, and gently glide your hum up in pitch. Breathe, hum at middle pitch, then glide your hum to your lowest pitch.

Actors use this simple exercise to warm up and cool down their voices after a heavy vocal workout. Teachers can do the same at the beginning and end of their school days.

Part 3. Conclusion and motivation

Although today you got just a brief tour of the Voice Academy, the website is rich in information. You will want to return for a second and perhaps third or fourth visit. This is where I leave off and you begin your journey to better vocal health. It is my hope that you will take full advantage of the site and return to it as often as necessary.

There may be parts of the website that are particularly meaningful for you. I suggest you fully explore the Voice Academy, then use the "text only" option to make hard copies of the information you might keep close at hand (possibly in a binder on your desk at school).

And, as with all things worthwhile, we hope you will share this opportunity with your colleagues who are also interested in improving their vocal health.

But, while we have this unique opportunity today, do you have any questions that I may be able to answer? (Answer questions as time allows.)

In conclusion, I'd like to distribute a prescription for you with the website address on it. I encourage you to use the site. Thank you for your time and interest today.

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