WCU Professor Helps Teachers Train Their Voices for the Rigors of the Profession

West Chester University professor Liz Grillo is helping teachers train their voices through classes and the VoiceEvalU8 app she developed, according to a report from 6ABC.

Grillo’s students are taught four speaking voices, each with its own purpose, and how to switch among them. They are also trained in healthy yelling for playgrounds and noisy gyms.

According to Grillo, teachers really should receive voice training in college. Few actually get any.

“Around 50 percent of teachers at some point in their career will have a voice problem,” she said.

This has even caused some to quit. Studies have also shown that children learn less when their teachers have voice problems.

Before the voice training, Hannah Kaptur would find her voice really hoarse at times, and it was even painful to talk. That changed significantly after voice training.

“By the end of the day, my voice feels just as good as it did in the morning,” she said.

So far, Grillo has trained around 80 student-teachers and grad students and now hopes to reach many more through her app.

Read more about Liz Grillo’s voice training at 6ABC here.