I read an interesting article in the April 28 Inquirer by Susan Snyder about research at West Chester University on helping teachers to not strain their voices. Professor Elizabeth Grillo, a speech therapist by training, has received two grants from the National Institutes of Health for $797,000 to do her research. Her goal is to save teachers’ voices. She describes different voices that are needed as a teacher such as one on one communication with a student, a voice in a classroom, a voice for speaking with students about issues where confidentiality is required and sometimes “the belt – or yelling – is needed, but there’s a healthy way to do that too.” According to Grillo, there are studies that show that half of teachers will experience voice problems during their career.
Clearly, she had never met Mr. Thomas Lees who was one of my son’s teachers when my son was entering Middle School at EA. Lees also got me started on running many years ago and coached our girls’ basketball team.
When I was a young teacher, I attended parents’ night for our son which included a trip to Mr. Lees classroom to hear him talk about curriculum and classroom management of a rambunctious group of young students. In less than a minute he taught me a skill that I would use for the rest of my teaching career. He simply said, “When a hand goes up and students are calling out the answer to a question that he asked, he would simply say: “I am looking for the quiet hand!” Seven words that I translated to never raise your voice with students in a classroom. If silence doesn’t work indicate that I am looking for the quiet hand. I also translated this to never try to talk over students. Be a presence and just be quiet if necessary. As Mr. Lees did, always treat students with great respect, and they will respect you back as well. It was $797,000 worth of sound advice.
Both he and I were coaches for a few years, and there are times where you have to raise your voice but don’t be a screamer and don’t belittle a player for any reason.
I was taught by some big-time screamers. In fact, there was one occasion that my high school classmates like to recount as things that you couldn’t get away with today either in the classroom or on the athletic field. I was taking metal shop where we kept our projects and tools such as chisels and emery paper in our locker in the large metal shop classroom. You were not supposed to go to your 12 by 9 inches locker except at the beginning of class. During class I needed to put something back in my locker so I opened it up, and I heard a blood curdling voice of the teacher like a siren proclaim, “Squire, what are you doing?” My response, “I am putting something back in my locker.” He then proceeded to hurl various tools at me from across the room (none hit me) yelling, “Squire, put this in your locker” after each of a half dozen missiles fell on the floor at my feet.
You guessed it! He turned out to be one of my football coaches where he could really work up a lather of discontent correcting us in a red-faced quasi controlled harangue.
I know what it is like to hear the screamer.
Recently I had a memorial service for a mother who had three sons graduate from EA so there were a number of alumni who attended. I was terribly moved when they said, “When I hear your voice, it takes me back to my time here, and I feel safe.”
I think that many teachers at EA had that kind of voice and many other teachers in other schools as well. That is the most important aspect of speaking to a student or group of students. That’s the voice that matters! Dare I say I think it is worth at least $797,000.
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