Teachers Raising Voices...

[Essentialrose1]

I know that it is the job of the teachers to modify, redirect, talk to, comfort...whatever has to be done/tried to help a child that is showing a challenging behavior. My center is full of caring & super dedicated teachers. However, during frustration I've seen each & every one raise their voices at one point. There IS a difference between yelling & raising their voice. But that's my own personal feeling & I want to make sure I am helping my staff as best as I can. What is your policy on this?

[Leigh]

I know that it is the job of the teachers to modify, redirect, talk to, comfort...whatever has to be done/tried to help a child that is showing a challenging behavior. My center is full of caring & super dedicated teachers. However, during frustration I've seen each & every one raise their voices at one point. There IS a difference between yelling & raising their voice. But that's my own personal feeling & I want to make sure I am helping my staff as best as I can. What is your policy on this?

All I can say is that a therapist that I have worked with in my daycare told me that I NEED to raise my voice now and then, and that I can't be so soft spoken all the time with the kids. She told me to use the same voice my mom used with me when I was in trouble, and that the kids need to hear my deep, raised, MOM voice when it was necessary. I am not one to raise my voice, but I have learned to be much firmer, and occasionally do raise the volume when necessary. It IS different than yelling, and it does work.

[MunchkinWrangler]

Yes, I believe it is essential to change tone and volume of your voice as well. Sometimes a raised voice can catch children off guard AND get their attention. They also realize when you are being serious. I am soft spoken, I have lost all control of my daycare because of this at times but now that I use different tones they react to it i.e. know when I mean business.

Of course there's a difference to all out yelling at the kids but if it's controlled it has an impact.

[spedmommy4]

I also believe there is a difference between using an "I mean business" tone of voice and yelling. A firm tone is controlled, and when used sparingly, should be a good indicator to a child that they need to course correct. Usually, if an adult is yelling, they have lost control of the group and their own emotions. (emergency situations excluded)

When I had staff, my policy on "raised voices" was that it should generally be reserved for emergency situations. (eg: someone is going to fall, bite, etc.) That said, taking care of kids is stressful work. If my staff were raising their voices more than I thought was appropriate, I would step in and see if they needed some support to handle challenging behaviors.

[DaveA]

All I can say is that a therapist that I have worked with in my daycare told me that I NEED to raise my voice now and then, and that I can't be so soft spoken all the time with the kids. She told me to use the same voice my mom used with me when I was in trouble, and that the kids need to hear my deep, raised, MOM voice when it was necessary. I am not one to raise my voice, but I have learned to be much firmer, and occasionally do raise the volume when necessary. It IS different than yelling, and it does work.

That's a good way of stating it. It also depends on a person's normal voice. I've worked with teachers whose voice really cuts through to the point of normal conversation being considered "loud" without them trying to. And my voice was noticed more just because it was the male voice in the crowd. I guess my qualifier would be does the person sound stressed or angry when talking, or are they just talking appropriately in a volume that could use turned down a couple clicks.

[Play Care]

I also believe there is a difference between using an "I mean business" tone of voice and yelling. A firm tone is controlled, and when used sparingly, should be a good indicator to a child that they need to course correct. Usually, if an adult is yelling, they have lost control of the group and their own emotions. (emergency situations excluded)

When I had staff, my policy on "raised voices" was that it should generally be reserved for emergency situations. (eg: someone is going to fall, bite, etc.) That said, taking care of kids is stressful work. If my staff were raising their voices more than I thought was appropriate, I would step in and see if they needed some support to handle challenging behaviors.

This.
I'm not a fan of the "sing song" voice used in ECE classrooms to address behavior issues. I do think you can be soft spoken and still have order, but I've found that there are times where a firm voice is warranted.
I also think it's time to find out WHY the teachers are feeling they have to raise their voices. This last school year both my assistant and I felt like we always had raised voices with two kids in particular. They are gone this year but in reality I should have termed them long before. Since they've been gone we haven't had to used raised voices