6. Let’s Talk Numbers
• Teachers are 3-5 times more likely to experience
voice problems than the general population
• Teachers are a whopping 32 times more likely to
report voice problems than other occupations.
• As many as one-half of all teachers experience a
voice disorder at some time in their careers.
• 20% of teachers experience voice problems
every year
7. More Numbers…
• The teacher’s voice needs to be at least 10
decibels greater than the ambient noise in order
for you to be heard
• GOOD NEWS: 75% of voice problems can be
self-managed with proper knowledge
• Teachers use their voice 15-40% of the time
during each working day
TEACHING IS THE NOBLEST PROFESSION
Not a single teacher would teach for the money any more than the passion
Teachers are naturally caring, patient and dedicated to transferring knowledge
The teaching profession creates other professions
When teachers compile the components of their professional toolkit, chances are they will omit an essential element, their voice. Yet without an audible voice, teachers cannot undertake their classroom duties and may have to abandon that career.
THE TEAHER’S VOICE
Is your most important tool for communication. You can teach without a lesson plan or even a classroom, but NEVER without your voice
Teachers make up the largest population of “professional voice users”
Teachers get very little to no voice training, which causes them to overlook their vocal health
The “default setting” is when you open your mouth to speak, there will be voice coming out… until the opposite happens
Then you start scrambling to learn behaviors and techniques to salvage whatever is left of your voice
VOCAL DEMANDS:
Speaking to dozens of students…
…For several hours each day
Competing with student noise
Environmental roadblocks (teaching outdoors, exposure to irritants, student noise, ambient noise)
Inadequate ventilation
Lack of recovery time (“the show must go on”)
Extended speaking outside of the class (meetings, tutoring, counseling)
Additional life stressors (family, financial, relationships, etc.)
Introducing: VOICE CARE FOR TEACHERS PROGRAM
Voice Care for Teachers is a 2-day workshop that aims to:
Educate the teachers about the voice, its common illnesses/sickness, and how to take steps to care for their voice and minimize the risk of voice problems
Provide the teachers with information on how to make classroom discussions more interactive and effective through the use of voice acting and public speaking skills.
VISION: A nation where educators are vocally equipped to handle the demands of millennial age learning.
MISSION: To share and imbibe knowledge and understanding to all educators on how to produce voice in a natural way, without causing unnecessary tension to the body.
Founded by Pocholo “The VoiceMaster” Gonzales
- Veteran voice artist. Radio broadcaster. Youth advocate. Motivational speaker.
SECTION 1 – Caring for the Voice
Fundamentals of how voice is produced
Defining and understanding symptoms, causes and risk factors of vocal injuries
Warm up and cool down exercises for the voice
Understanding and working with various speaking environments
Voice Care action planning
SECTION 2 – Voice Acting
Defining and understanding the concept of being an “edu-tainer” (educator + entertainer)
Public speaking skills, tips and techniques
How to “play” with the voice using pitch, tempo, etc.
The VoiceMaster’s formula to character voices
Exercises to explore the range of their voice
Application of voice acting skills
Certificate
Workbook
Voice Care Ambassador
Voice of the Teachers radio show