He has been a teacher for 38 years.
A respected, meaningful profession, and he has had the privilege of educating generations of children in Torah, middos and values.
But his throat was worn out and tired, and he felt he couldn't go on.
In every lesson he prayed for it to end (and not because of the class).
Another throat clear, another sip of tea, but it didn't help...
His voice was weak, his throat hurt, and getting through a full lesson was hard.
That frustration, of having everything it takes to teach and guide a class, while your throat won't let you, is enormous.
Let me jump to the end.
He took the original Hebrew edition of my online course, and this is what he told me:
"Nirel, I want you to know: for 38 years I've been fighting my throat. Every lesson was a burden. Instead of enjoying it, I kept straining more and more. The exercises in your course let me speak with ease, raise my voice, lead a full lesson, and then another and another. And most important of all, I don't feel my throat hurting. You have a share in the zechus of educating Jewish children. I want you to know that."
A teacher with 38 years in the classroom (translated from Hebrew)
And here is another teacher, who wrote me these words:
"Hi! I just wanted to say a huge thank you for this amazing course! I teach a really wild class, and at the end of every day I could barely talk. From the moment I started applying the breathing exercises and the work on the diaphragm, that disappeared! My voice suddenly became strong without any effort. I speak with confidence and authority in class, and the best part is that when the day is over, I can still hold a normal conversation!"
A teacher (translated from Hebrew)
Why your authority starts with your voice
One of the most important parts of a teacher's job is to project authority with confidence, not with a soft, faltering voice.
Children can tell from your tone whether you're firm and strong, or weak and easy to push around. Long before they listen to what you say, they hear how you say it.
Where a teacher's voice really goes
Clearing your throat all day
Every hard clear slams the vocal cords together. Swallowing or taking a sip of water does the same job far more gently.
Talking over the noise
Raising your voice over 25 students, a hallway and an air conditioner is a fight your throat will lose. Waiting for quiet, or using a signal the class knows, saves your voice and builds authority.
Breathing high
Quick, shallow breaths into the chest leave the throat to do all the work. When the breath comes from low down, the voice carries without pushing.
What you can do tomorrow morning
- Hum gently for two or three minutes before your first lesson.
- Keep a water bottle on your desk and sip between lessons.
- Before you raise your voice, take one low breath and let the belly move out.
- Give your voice a few quiet minutes during breaks, instead of chatting in a noisy room.
When hoarseness is more than tiredness
Most end-of-day hoarseness comes from how the voice is used, and it improves when the technique changes. But some signs call for a doctor first: hoarseness that lasts more than two weeks, pain when you speak, or a voice that disappears and doesn't come back. In those cases, see an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor before anything else.
Learning it properly
At Kolot, teachers learn exactly this: how to speak for hours in a strong voice without wearing down the throat. You can learn it from home, at your own pace, in my online course, Rediscover Your Voice.
