Last year for my TE 250 class, I was placed in a 5th grade classroom at Shasftsburg Elementary. I loved the class, but I was very nervous! Especially when the teacher had me create my own lesson plan! I felt so lost and had do idea what to do! I ended up doing a lesson on sign language, which went pretty well. The kids enjoyed it, but at times they got a little too excited and started to all talk and laugh. I tried to get them to stay on task as much as possible, but it seemed they didn't want to listen to me. That's when I was told that I need to get my teacher voice. How the heck do you get a teacher voice? Turns out, I was being to quiet and soft spoken. The teacher told me that I need to have a more strong voice, which doesn't necessarily mean yelling, it just means don't let the students talk over you. Make sure the tone is that you have control of the class, yet it needs to be welcoming.
While thinking about this concept, I serached online for articles. I came across a book that is 44 Smart Strategies for teachers. Strategy number 44 was all about perfecting the teacher voice. The articl states that screaming will get you no where, which I agree. It will either make the kids listen for just that moment, simple because they are scared, or make the kids act up and push your buttons. I think that both of these ideas are real possibilites for what can happen. Nobody wants a class thta is scared of them because they scream, but teachers do want classes that will actually listen and mind. The article discusses how there are many different teacher voices that should be readily available in in use. For example, the enthusastic voice to get the students excited and make them actually want to listen. There is also the strong stern voice to make students pay attention and behave. The article discusses a variety of other voices that could be helpful in my future teaching career. As a teacher I need to find a balance between all of the voices. I don't want to stick to one, because that could be misleading and boring. I need to learn when to use certain ones and when certain voices should not be used. The tone of the teachers voice can be crucial to the student teacher relationship, so I feel it is really something that should be learned.
In order for a teacher to learn when to use these different voices, they just need to be tested. Within the first couple of days/weeks of school, the teacher should test these voices and obsreve outcomes in different situations. If in a certain situation you realize that a certain voice gets positive results, the article says to make and note and try to utilize that idea. Whereas, if a certain voice doesn't go over so well, discard that voice and try something new. We want to be in control of our class, but we have to work with what our students will accomadate to to gain that control. Another thing the article says, is to use a microphone if needed. I feel that microphones in elementary classrooms are a splendid idea. I volunteered at a classroom that used them, and I found that the kids were more likely to pay attention and understand the concepts. The projection catches their attention so they are able to hear you. Kids in the back are also not straining to hear, so they are focusing on understanding rather than trying to hear.
The article also goes on to state that non-verbals also has to deal with the "teacher voice." For example the teacher eye. Everyone has heard of the teacher eye, but I am not sure if I have it in me to give it! The evil glare showing students that they see that sometihng is being done wrong can be very frightening. Yet, I know it works. Watching students get the teacher eye, they immediately stop and behave. Maybe this is something I sohuld practice in the mirror? All I know is I need to learn it! Other nonverbals can serve as ques on what needs to happen. For example, all through my school days the teacher would give a peace sign for when we need to settle down. Everyone would stop talking and pay attention when that hand went up. I think this sign is somethng I would utilize as a teacher, because it gets the students attention, yet it is less threatening.
Overall, the teacher voice is something that needs to be practiced and mastered. I know I don't want students walking all over me, but I also want to feel approachable to them. I need to find different voices to balance out, to make my persona as a whole friendly but in charge.
I've never really thought about a "teacher's voice" but I guess it really does have an impact! That "teacher eye" will come naturally, believe me. When I was at my placement on the first day and the students had a sub, some of the girls mocked my (rather high pitched) voice and my teacher eye just came out of nowhere and worked!
ReplyDeletewell that's good it worked! I am just a very very shy person so I am afraid I am going to struggle! Hoepfully it comes naturally to me or else I don't know what I am going to do!
ReplyDeleteI remember volunteering at a school and the class I was sitting in on had a substitute. She was new to teaching and I found was trying to figure out her "teacher voice". She often yelled and screamed at the kids which I found did not work to settle them down. Often times it got them more excited and talkative than before. I am very nervous that I am going to have trouble finding my teacher voice because of how shy I am. Trying out different voices is a good idea though because you need to test them out to see which one works so that your "teacher voice" isn't something you have to worry about all year long. There are plenty of other things to worry about!
ReplyDeleteI agree Breanne. Trying them out is going to be the best thing for us shy ones! =) Sometimes I wonder how much control I will have due to my shy ways, so hopefully some of these ideas actually work. I guess we shall see!
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