Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bijjy]

I have been here about 3 weeks, and last week my throat starting getting sore. Really sore. The next morning I completely lost my voice. I spent the weekend at home, plus took two sick days off work (that's all the paid sick days I get for the year).

I went to the doctor, got a shot in the bum, and 12 pills to take per day.

I returned to work today, and my voice is back, but still very croaky. My question is, has this happened to anyone before, and how do you prevent it from happening? (I was thinking of maybe buying a personal microphone but I don't know if the school would approve. However, my director is always telling me to 'speak louder!' ).

Also, what are all the pills the doctor gave me? It seems like a lot.

[ulsanchris]

water and lots of it. there is a tea here you can get called citon tea. the korean name is yujacha. its very good for a sore throat. speak in a clear voice. you don't have to be too loud if your students are quiet. Get a book about teaching, maybe one devoted to classroom management. A good book or two will help you out.

[winnie]

May seem like common sense, but try talking less in class....less teacher talk, more getting the students to talk. It should be about them speaking English, not you so much.

Also, don't yell or raise your voice, it does very little, may make you more stressed in fact.

When my kids aren't listening, I clap, or raise my hand, and signal them to be quiet, or I simply wait in silence, until they are ready. It's their time to waste or learn.

Save your voice!

[winnie]

And about the pills....don't take em all, I made that error when I was sick months ago, and I think they just made me sicker, and probably did little for my stomach/liver.....can't take 15 pills a day!! Just not healthy.

The tea idea is good, although it may taste bad...add some sugar to it and it will be better!!

They have a tendency to overprescribe drugs here and give out injections like candy....only go to the hospital if you are deathly ill is my advice.

[peppermint]

Yup, definitely lots of water will help.

The pills are probably mostly vitamins, I wouldn't worry too much about that.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Most new teachers have the same problem, or old teachers at the start of a new school year. It's an occupational thing.

You need to talk to a voice major. They can tell you how to project better without straining your voice. Maybe one will show up on the thread.

Tea with honey is good. So is that yoo-ja-cha. You can get it in any grocery store. It's basically chunks of orange peel. Tasty on a cold day.

Take the pills. If they don't help, they probably won't hurt. Any time you go to a doctor here you will get a bunch of little paper envelopes full of unknown pills. I just take 'em. Most are for general 'well-being'.

[Dan The Chainsawman]

Raise your voice to be heard, but never to communicate the message your trying to get across. For instance, "JIMMY!, sit down please."

As far as classroom management goes its all a variable depending on how rowdy your class can get. If your in a situation where the class is routinely out of control ignoring them is not going to be a good idea. Though I use this tactic during game time when I have all their attention, but during work time ignoring them is about the same as just letting them leave early.

Get three cards all different colors. First Card is bad... second card is worst last card is deep horse hockey.

My favorite is to slap the table with my rather largish hand. It tends to get everyones attention, but when your doing it and they can see your angry expect more crap soon to come. So I slap the table, and then speak my message in a very calm voice. Mind you inside my little devil might be screaming pepper spray the lot of them, but to the kids I am not angry.

[SPINOZA]

[SPINOZA]

[Kimchieluver]

Spinoza, typos on Dave's are a fact of life. I really think DTCM knows the difference. We're not here to teach you or other posters English, so lay off the grammar button.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I think people are jumping to conclusions. The OP didn't say the reason for loss of voice was shouting. I took it as inability to project to a whole room of people. Unless otherwise stated, I think it's fair to give the benefit of the doubt.

[bijjy]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will take all the pills I guess. I just prefer to know what the heck I'm taking, as I prefer not to overmedicate myself with pharmaceuticals, but it seems nobody really knows what they are, they just consume what they're given.

As for how I lost my voice, I think it was a combo of three things.. acid reflux from the spicy food, a mild cold/flu, AND straining my voice in classes.

I'd say in my classes the kids probably talk half the time, and I talk the other half. I really don't even talk as much as the other teachers or director. When I watch the director teach, she is actually talking about 90% of the time, very loudly. Not yelling at the kids per se, but it's almost like she's a stand-up comedian / sheepdog / talkshow host.

That's the style they want us to teach with. If we are more laid back and talk less, she may complain we are 'slow' and 'not interactive.'

What makes this harder is that my last job I was in front of a computer all day typing, not talking to anybody. So my vocal chords aren't used to the workout. Have you guys found that your voice has strengthened over time? Does the larynx get stronger? I'm really hoping so.

[SPINOZA]

[plattwaz]

From a chronic voice-loser, sore-throat sufferer:::

The other reality about losing your voice is the fact that you've only been here three weeks -- new germs, new pollution, new atmosphere ... your body can react to the adjustment in climate and temperature in many ways, and a sore throat is common. Also, you now have an abundance of kids coughing and sneezing on you, picking their noses and then handing you their pencil, etc etc. There are loads and loads of germs waiting to infect you.

I've been here nearly 5 years now and I've had a killer sore throat this week from the change of season that we seem to be having now.

There are really great throat candies that I use, they are only available at Family Mart, and they are called "Herbs'n'Honey" with a big picture of a pear and some honey on them. English and Japanese writing on the package, not Korean. They are AMAZING. (They do taste pretty bad the first few times you try them, but now everytime I get a sore throat, I crave the taste).

The variety of pills that the doctor gave you is likely a package that consists of 1 or 2 different anti-biotics, which you only need if your throat is actually infected (they never seem to do a swab here and check it, they just assume), as well as one "stomach protector" so that the anti-biotic doesn't make you nauseous (not fully necessary in my option) and an acid-reflux medicine, again to counter the effects of the anti-biotic. If you've complained of pain, they usually prescibe 250-500 MG of acetominophen (aka Tylenol, paracetomol for Brits). For those of us raised in the west, these all seem like a ridiculous waste of throwing drugs into your body, but here they are a standard. It's the painkiller that gets me....pumping 500 mg of Tylenol into myself 3x a day -- it's like they don't think patients are smart enough to take a painkiller WHEN NEEDED..... anyway I ramble.

When I go to the pharmacy to fill a prescription, I always take one of the envelopes that they gave me and point to each pill and ask what it is. They usually know the word "anti-biotic" and "Tylenol". The stomach protector they don't know, but will usually point to their stomach and try to explain. Etc. Then I go home, and when it's time for medicine, I take only the antibiotic, flush the others down the toilet, and save the painkiller in a seperate little bottle I have for the next time I have a headache.

Finally, it's also important to go back to the DR three days after they gave you the meds. Often they won't tell you to, they just assume you know to. But taking antibiotics for 3-4 days is not enough to kill the strongest strains of the virus (bacteria?) You'll feel better but you'll just get sicker in a few weeks.....go back to him and make sure to get the same prescript again to ensure you run a full course of the antibiotics (again, provided that an infection it is).

Hope all that helps....

[the_beaver]

As a teacher your number one tool is your voice. Here's how you handle it:

1. Don't talk too much. Intro and outro activities and that's about it.
2. Get enough fluids.
3. Project your voice with your gut, not your vocal cords -- makes your voice deeper, louder, it carries more, but there's no strain.