From A Whisper To A Scream
Most teachers have a Voice Level Chart in their classrooms. They look something like this: 0 = No talking 1 = Whisper 2 = Partner Talk 3 = Presentation 4 = Outside So, at any point during the day, the teacher can say “Give me a 2 voice level”, or “Okay, everyone is at a Zero now”, and the students know how to regulate their voices. What I’ve found is that the hardest voice level for students to maintain is the Whisper (1). For some reason, kids can get to a zero and stay there (for the most part).They understand that no talking means NO talking. Pretty easy concept, even for the youngest of students. Partner Talk (2) is easier, too, because that’s their "normal" voice level. It’s how we communicate on a daily basis. It’s our natural state of being. But, to moderate themselves at a Whisper, between a Zero (0) and Partner Talk (2)? And to maintain that voice level? That’s next to impossible. Whispering isn’t a normal way for us to communicate. When we...