It is something kind of boring, but greatly effective: voice amplification. See? I told you you'd be surprised. Okay maybe not you, Geoffery.
Louder! But don't use that tone with me!
When I was doing my teacher training, my supervisors would tell me that I needed to be way louder. I tend to mumble and my voice is on the lower side of the register, so I came off as a distant ambiguous fog horn. This was great if any students were approaching an ice berg, but not so good if I was trying to give them instructions or teach them something. I was not naturally blessed by a big, teacher voice.
Early in my teaching career, I learned to raise my voice in volume and in pitch. I noticed that my students paid more attention, but it came at a price. If I had a noisy class, my throat would be really sore by the end of the day. I also think the relationship with students suffered because with my new higher tone, I sounded like I was yelling at them. To put it in recording terms, this new register was clearer "in the mix" but it sounded like I was singing an angry song. Think punk or death metal, all day.
It wasn't until my time at Birchland (20 years in) that each classroom was equipped with a wireless voice amplification system. At first, I didn't like it. The headgear squeezed my big melon and messed up my hair. I'd forget to turn the transmitter off when talking to a colleague in the hall, and a couple of times I almost broadcast live from the bathroom. As I got used to it though, voice amplification really saved my throat and my students were able to hear me without me having to shout at them. I could be heard and use a calm, soothing, non-straining voice. Ahhh, everyone benefits.
The MacGyver Version
When I went to my new school, Leigh, I didn't have a supplied amplification system, and I really needed one. The school was built in the 1960s so it had hard tile floors, hard reflective walls, and a hard reflective varnished wood ceiling. My quiet group of kids seemed really loud and my droney voice was no match for this echo chamber. In consultation with the custodians and the fire marshal, I brought in big rugs for the floors and strategically put up drapery on the walls and parts of the ceiling to reduce the noise reflection.
It helped but it wasn't until I hooked up a mic with a long cord attached to a big, boxy keyboard amp I had that the noise problem was solved. You know me, I did this all fairly cheaply. I already had the amplifier, I bought a cheap mic and xlr cord set from Long and McQuade. The part that was relatively expensive was the xlr to 1/4 in adapter/impedance converter that at the time was over $30 but is now less than $20. This part was essential because it was clearer and gave a slight boost in volume.
Was this makeshift version as good as the professional voice tower? No and yes. No because it wasn't as streamlined, the cord of my version had limitations, and the lack of a headset did not allow for handsfree operation (which was tricky when I was using my make-shift interactive whiteboard - but more on that another time). But there were many benefits that made the makeshift version better (and I still use a similar set up today):
- The microphone gives students a focus point. Whoever is holding the mic is where your attention should be. When I was holding the mic, students knew to look and listen to me, but the same was true for when students were holding the mic. It literally and figuratively was the "talking stick."
- My wife started this morning routine in her class called, The News, where every student can say one sentence about anything such as how they are doing. I stole this idea and my students still do this every day. It is an excellent way to check in. They like using the mic and even the shyest kids get up and talk at the mic because it is fun and unimposing. Guests remark how poised my students are at talking in front of the class, and it is because of this 4 second daily practice.
- The sound is better than the tower. Because of the decent speaker and being able to adjust treble and bass separately, I can dial in the right eq.
- The cord advantageously prevents me from broadcasting hallway conversations or accidental bathroom podcasts.
- What are you doing for amplification now? Instead of the big keyboard amplifier, I use a small, inobtrusive, corded powered speaker that has a much smaller footprint in my crowded classroom. I have a boom mic holder so I can go hands free when I am showing a book or something on my computer.
- Why is it so crowded right now? COVID! I had to get rid of my space efficient risers and bring in some spaced out desks. (See my previous post about classroom design during COVID.)
- Is voice amplification needed in a COVID situation? Definitely. I pulled my carpet out, so there is more echo from the bare floor, and more individual desks and chairs that move and scrape (as opposed to quieter tables and risers that are shared and stationary) mean more ambient reflected noise. Wearing a mask muffles my voice so the mic helps to be heard. Plus, I can be heard over all of the handwashing, and without having to you my shouting voice. I'm sure my students appreciate my loud, calm voice instead of an angry, unsettling voice, especially during a tense pandemic.
- Are you still doing The News? Yes, but I am masked and the students are distanced.
- Do you use voice amplification outside of the classroom? Whenever I do a presentation or a workshop for longer than about 20 minutes, I will bring an amp, cable, and mic with me to save my voice, to be heard, and to demonstrate the benefits of voice amplification.
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| Speaker on top of whiteboards |
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| Mic in boom stand |
