Losing My Voice
There are so many wonderful things that we did today! We had a special visit from a scientist who works at the University of Illinois, we did some great work on learning the order of operations in math, and we discussed the difference between thin and thick writing. (There are different ways different teachers describe writing, but I’ve chosen to use the thin and thick metaphor.)
However, I’ve tried to keep my blog posts focused on one major topic, even if I mark multiple categories for linking on the sidebar. And there is one thing that has been more on my mind today than anything else: I am losing my voice.
As a teacher, I talk. A lot. It is a critical part of my job. Not that there aren’t teachers who teach without talking. It is just that I do. So when my voice starts going out, I get a little nervous.
I have had a fairly persistent cough over the past six years, ever since I did my student teaching in a first grade classroom in Paxton, Illinois. I’ve grown accustomed to this cough, even though it is a bit annoying from time to time. Yesterday, though, my voice got a little scratchy. I made sure to drink lots of herbal infusions (also known as herbal tea) and got some strong throat lozenges. Despite all of my best efforts, my voice seems to be getting worse, not better. However, I am hoping that this is one of those cases where my voice getting worse is actually a sign that I am on the mend.
When I got to school this morning, I was worried about how the day would go. You see, talking isn’t the only thing that I do all day every day. I also have to project my voice. As you might imagine, projecting my voice when I can hardly speak is nearly impossible. So I had to spend my day speaking in normal conversational tones, rather than projecting my voice across a room. Fortunately, my students were very understanding of the situation. Some even wrote me notes wishing me a speedy recovery. I certainly hope so! As much as I am glad my class can follow directions even when I am not speaking very loudly, I already miss being able to use inflections in my voice as I read aloud and provide examples while teaching.
