Many times we don’t give importance to the voice, and it is one of the most important communication tools, especially if you work with it. In Spain, one in four teachers suffers from a voice disorder. Currently, dysphonia is the second leading cause of sick leave among teachers and is already recognized as a work accident. These data reflect the need to educate the voice as a prevention tool. At ISEP, we offer some recommendations that can improve our vocal use:
– Maintain a regular sleep rhythm and a balanced diet.
– Drink water in small sips throughout the day.
– Avoid clearing your throat: it is an aggressive gesture for the vocal cords. If you need to, yawn, drink water, or swallow saliva.
– Keep the environment humidified.
– Avoid raising the intensity of your voice above classroom noise and making unnecessary shouts.
– To capture students’ attention, deliver an expressive speech, modulating your voice, making changes in intensity and rhythm.
– Maintain good body posture while teaching and do so in a comfortable position.
– Warm up your voice before starting the workday. Dedicate 10 minutes each morning to “start the engine” of your voice, either by gently humming songs or making sirens on phonemes like /r/ or /z/.
World Voice Day
Since 1999, World Voice Day has been celebrated every April 16th, an initiative of the International Federation of Otorhinolaryngological Societies (IFOS). Its objective is to raise awareness among the population about pathologies related to this powerful means of communication, their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. ISEP has been training voice professionals for 30 years and offers specialized master’s and postgraduate programs such as the Master’s in Clinical Speech Therapy or in Educational Speech Therapy, and the postgraduate program in Myofunctional Therapy.