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Those Who Teach, Don't Need to Talk

By Heather Wolpert-Gawron

It’s a semi-annual teaching tradition. I’ve lost my voice. Now, I’m not talking about still being able to whisper. I’m talking about a totally stripped, honk-when-I-try-to-produce-sound lost voice. It happens to me several times a year, and I’m starting to think it’s related to the air conditioner in my Southern California classroom. But I digress.

This article isn’t about lemons. It’s about lemonade.

On those days when I’ve totally lost my voice, I still teach. Yes, it’s true that it feels like someone has taken the hammer from my toolbox and then asked me to pound in a nail. But there are ways...