Why Do I Lose My Voice So Often as a Teacher?
You're in the middle of a lesson. Your voice feels tight, raspy, and unreliable. By the end of the day, you're hoarse, exhausted, or even in pain.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and it may be more than just “overuse.” Many teachers experiencing these symptoms are unknowingly dealing with a voice condition called Muscle Tension Dysphonia (MTD). Voice rest is not enough - and you keep losing your voice frequently and its affecting your work.
Why do teachers lose their voice?
Teachers use their voices a lot. Voice loss tends to occur due to overuse or misuse of your voice. But it’s not just the hours of speaking—it’s how, where, and under what pressure. Classrooms are often noisy, acoustically challenging spaces. Add in stress, lack of voice training, and few breaks, and it’s no wonder that around 50–70% of teachers experience voice problems at some point.
Our UK Voice therapists will help you identify the causal factors and put together a bespoke plan to support you in improving your voice, and prevent voice loss.
When should I worry about losing my voice?
Prolonged voice loss and Voice changes should be investigated and you can request a referral to ENT via your GP. Voice loss can affect your job performance and may cause you to be sick or absent from work as you are unable to teach. Teachers may resign due to voice issues. Your voice is your an important tool and you may need to either have voice therapy to restore your voice or improve your vocal techniques.
How can voice therapy help?
The recommended treatment for frequent and ongoing voice loss is voice therapy. Typically in 4-6 sessions we can improve your voice. We can support you with preventative techniques so that you do not lose your voice, feel strain or discomfort - so you can confidently teach without worrying about your voice.
How can I stop losing my voice as a teacher?
Speak less - take regular breaks.
Use non-verbal techniques to gain attention rather than shouting
Use audio-visual aids where possible
Use amplification where possible
Vocal hygiene to look after your voice.
Can voice coaching help me stop losing my voice as a teacher?
Our therapists are both voice therapists and voice coaches - the perfect combination to improve your voice and provide you with preventative techniques for using your voice in the classroom.
We can also support you with finding your voice as a teacher - to free your voice and speech of habits that impact on your self confidence such as speaking too fast, mumbling, speaking too quietly or unclear pronunciation. Habits are hard to break but Voice & Speech Coaching UK can provide you with strategies to change the way you communicate to be your true self.
Can I have voice therapy with the NHS?
The referral from GP to ENT can be a quick process. Unfortunatly, the wait for NHS voice therapy may take months, which could impact on your work. Our voice therapists are able to see you while you wait for NHS therapy. Voice coaching is not available in the NHS - our Voice Coaches are unique as they are also Clinical Voice Specialists.
Our UK based Private Voice Therapists are Clinical Specialists in Voice with a minimum of 15 years experience Specialising in Voice Therapy. Book a free 15 minute consultation or email us at thespeechnetwork@hotmail.com to enquire about our reasonable fees for Voice Therapy.