Not quite, it turns out. Luckily, I can address this issue. I just need to step back for awhile and focus on my own needs, so that I can better address students needs in the future. Finding my teacher voice has proven difficult; sometimes the perfect tone for a situation seems terribly elusive; I tend to escalate it all too quickly, a habit that seems to throw off my student. As one kid in third hour so aptly put it "Oh wow, you're mean now, that was fast".
Was I mean? I wouldn't go quite that far, but I had certainly lost control of the situation and thus had resorted to using a loud voice to 'throw around' my authority abit, rather than using a firm voice throughout my lesson to ensure that I was heard but not seen as suddenly overly harsh. I had made a mistake and my students knew that something was awry. I had gotten my students attention, but I had also made them balk; their attention wasn't on the lesson it was on me suddenly doing a 180, as I had gone from joking to almost angry too quickly. I should have instead used a firm voice that demanded respect but also showed that I was not going to 'yell' to get their attention. Instead, I would speak just loudly enough to be heard and demand engagement, rather than send students on the defensive. Joshua Block, an educator at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia reminded me that "Power and authority are an inherent part of the teacher's role, but respect and engagement don't result from threats or stern voices. Effective teacher voice entails a combination of flexibility and firmness while keenly reading individuals and the pulse of a group ("Reframing Teacher Voice, 2015, 4). Essentially, I need to strive to be an authority figure that demands respect with the teacher voice I use at all times.
Now, I need to work on fixing this issue. When a few of my mentor teachers and several research articles mentioned practicing my teacher voice when I was alone, I filed the thought away, and have since finally put it into practice. It's still in the very early stages and naturally, it does feel a little silly but I think I can already see just the tiniest bit of progress.
That being said, I believe it will take awhile for the students to see that progress, so I must keep practicing. Please, if you have any tips in this area, feel free to share. I would love to hear how you all are handling it!
Reframing Teacher Voice. (2015). Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/reframing-teacher-voice-joshua-block
Brooke,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughtful reflection. The idea of a "teacher voice" is very interesting to me. It had never really crossed my mind that it is a tool that needs to be developed and honed, but I see your point. I think every education should take time to hone this element of our craft; it is one of the most important things we use on a daily basis in the classroom. You mention several times that you should use a "firm" voice or tone throughout your lesson to ensure engagement. I am not sure this is necessarily the best strategy. To me, firm means disciplinary. I think you can still demand authority and respect with your voice without this kind of tone. In order to avoid yelling to get students' attention, maybe assign a student assistant to help you (credit to Mary Harrison) or simply asking if your students are with you. This will reduce your frustration and hopefully get students back on track quicker.
I am confident with practice and experience you will gain your teacher voice!
Alexis
Ms. Pritchett,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate you touching on this particular topic. Our teacher voice is a tool we use every day and it is one that students learn to rely on to gauge not only how they are doing, but also if they are meeting our expectations. Our students are tremendously in tune to our body language and our voices and keenly aware of when the wheels begin to fall of the cart.
I really like that the article you linked talked about flexibility and firmness, but also reading the group. This is key I think in being able to still lead the class, but not talk down to them or talk too sternly to them. There needs to be a happy medium where we can bring students back to focus as needed without coming off as needlessly brusque.
One thing I might suggest, is that body language speaks almost as loudly as your voice. If you feel yourself getting to the point where your tone is taking on too harsh or angry a lilt - try relaxing your posture. Take a deep breath and then start to speak. I know that this has worked for me and makes me much more mindful of what body language I'm communicating with as well.
One thing I love about the student teaching experience is that we are getting the chance to tweak and work on these things now before we have our own classrooms. I know you will find your perfect teacher voice and I applaud you for taking the initiative to do some research on how to find it.
Thank you for sharing!
--Mrs. Tolbert
"As one kid in third hour so aptly put it "Oh wow, you're mean now, that was fast"."
ReplyDeleteI loved this line--it made me laugh out loud. Students are so honest, and that can either frustrate teachers, or it can give them pause and help them reflect. I applaud your ability to reflect on this situation and consider how your teacher voice and demeanor can affect how students respond to you. Thanks for a thought-provoking post, Ms. Pritchett!
You made me laugh when you quoted your student saying, "Oh wow, you're mean now, that was fast." :-) You will get the voice down. Practice in your room and in your car until you get it just right. Listen to your mentor teacher and other teachers, and remember the tone your mother used when you knew she meant business. You will get this!
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