“Petered Out Pipes”

Shortly after I started this blog, I had someone mention that they could hear me talk as they read my blog posts. They shared how I could do a video blog (or vlog, as the kids say) and push out more multimedia content. I always thought it was a neat idea, and it's possible I might do it one day. However, after getting through parent teacher conferences this past week, I think I'll have to postpone the vlog for a different time. I could barely hum a tune in the car afterward, let alone try and film myself for a five minute story!

This past week, our school district hosted parent teacher conferences. In the entire time I've been employed in my district, this is the first time we've had formal conferences with parents and families. It was a welcomed change and allowed for great conversation in person with parents. While we communicate consistently through online messaging portals and phone calls, having a face-to-face discussion between teacher and parents helps build up a stronger support system for every student. It enriches the conversation around academic and behavioral growth, while also emphasizing any need for intervention or goal setting.

Since we're chatting about academics, let's go ahead and do some math really fast. Nineteen students, 15 minute conferences, that's 285 minutes of conversing with parents. Add on top of that the 4 hours prior to the conferences where I was teaching my students before they went home early for the day. I don't even want to do the math, but that's A LOT of time using one's vocal cords. Don't forget those teachers that have more than 19 students too. I can't even imagine how they must have felt!

As teachers, we utilize our vocal "pipes" consistently everyday. Whether it's teaching lessons, correcting behavior, guiding kids in the hallway, etc., we are constantly communicating with our words. When kids talk nonstop or it's incredibly loud in your classroom, we feel we have to overuse our voices. By the end of the day, we're vocally exhausted. Personally, I've noticed a change in my voice since I started teaching 7 years ago. My voice has gotten a bit lower and sounds hoarser on a regular basis. By the end of the school week, my voice is gravelly and unable to jam out to the radio as much on the way home. For me, this is a travesty, as I live for my own private car concerts.

After conferences were over, I spent the entire drive home in silence. It hurt to swallow and talking seemed like a ton of energy. I spent the rest of the evening talking at a whisper, and even that was a challenge. I felt like I'd just belted out every song at a concert and my voice had disappeared. I knew I talked a lot on a daily basis, but I didn't quite realize how much additional talking I did with adults. PHEW!

For all those out there who are also recovering from conferences, daily teaching or just overuse of your vocal cords, here's some advice on how to care for the aches and pains:

• DON'T TALK!!! Vocal rest is a real thing and it definitely helps. As much as I wanted to go home and talk to my fiance about my day, I intentionally didn't talk until later on in the evening. He knew I needed time to recover, and he respected that. Honestly, it was probably a nice QUIET change for him than my regular, loud voice he gets all the time....

• Avoid Clearing Your Throat! I struggle with this one ALL THE TIME. It's a terrible habit to clear your throat, as it rubs your vocal cords the wrong way. It causes irritation and makes your voice hoarse!

• Hydrate! Make sure you keep yourself hydrated and get plenty of fluids in you. I purposely took water breaks in between every conference I had, and sometimes during a conference when a parent was talking. I needed to keep myself at my best professionally, and hydrating helped me do it! I also encourage hydration afterward to keep your throat from getting dry. Sore vocal cords and a dry throat sound like a horrible combination, so don't choose that life.

• Drink Throat Coat Tea! I started drinking throat coat tea back in high school, when I was taking vocal performance lessons, performing in musicals and singing in choir class everyday. It's a LIFE SAVER! Make a cup of this tea, add a little honey and boom, liquid nectar! It soothes the throat, promotes throat health and eases discomfort.

Please take care of your vocal pipes and make sure you're only doing things to help them, rather than hinder them. Teachers, keep your vocal cords rested and in good condition for when those chatty kids need a stern talking to, or you've got a big lesson coming up. Or, if you have parent teacher conferences on the calendar, make sure to prep your voice ahead of time! I'm trying to apply this advice to my own "petered out pipes," so let's do it together!

Sharing Perspective. Encouraging Perseverance.

~Kendall