Teacher Tone of Voice: Why It Matters

As educators, the words we choose matter but so does how we say them. Our tone of voice has the power to build connection, encourage effort, and shift the entire mood of the classroom. New research supports what many teachers have long known intuitively: our emotional tone influences both classroom climate and student behavior. You can download a FREE printable to encourage positive teacher tone of voice at the bottom of this post.

Understanding Emotional Tone in the Classroom

Emotional tone refers to the emotional quality of language, including the positivity or negativity in the words we use with students. A recent study by Santiago-Rosario et al. (2025) used full-day classroom recordings to analyze teachers’ language using sentiment analysis technology. The findings were eye-opening:

• Teachers in early grades (K–2) used more positive emotional language than those in upper elementary grades.
• Emotional tone tended to decline throughout the school day, reaching the lowest point in the afternoon before rising slightly at dismissal.
• Importantly, teachers who consistently used more positive emotional tone were significantly less likely to issue discipline referrals.

Even more compelling, teachers who participated in professional development (PD) focused on equity and positive student interactions showed greater positivity in their tone and fewer discipline referrals overall.

Why Your Tone of Voice Matters More Than Ever

Educators face increasing pressure, fatigue, and stress. These factors make it easy to slip into reactive language, especially during high-stress times of the day like post-lunch transitions or end-of-day wrap-ups. But here’s why staying aware of tone is so critical:

• Positive emotional tone broadens your teaching toolbox—you’re more likely to redirect behavior calmly, use encouragement, and think flexibly.
• Negative tone narrows attention and limits options—you may default to reprimands or miss opportunities to connect with students.
• Students are highly responsive to emotional cues, especially those with histories of trauma, learning differences, or sensory processing challenges.

A Free Printable to Support Positive Tone

To help educators become more mindful of their tone and build habits that foster connection, we created a free printable tool. This easy-to-use reflection tool includes:

✅ Daily Check-Ins

Use the chart to note how your tone feels at four key times: arrival, midday, afternoon, and dismissal.

✅ Self-Monitoring Prompts

Track whether you used strategies like behavior-specific praise or took a breath before reacting.

✅ Reset & Reflect Questions

Think about what influenced your tone and plan a supportive shift for tomorrow.

✅ 7 Strategies to Shift Tone Positively

Scripted positive phrases, warm-up routines, calming resets, and self-regulation tips for YOU.

Scripted Phrases You Can Use Today

Sometimes all it takes is one intentional phrase to reset the energy in the room. Here are just a few examples from the printable:

• “Let’s take a breath and start again.”
• “I noticed how focused you were just now. Thank you.”
• “I appreciate how you came back to your seat quickly—great job.”
• “Let’s see how focused we can be for the next 10 minutes.”
• “Speak the way you want to be remembered.”

Reference

Santiago-Rosario, M. R., Yadav, A., & McIntosh, K. (2025). Teacher talk: Assessing the promise of teacher emotional tone as a classroom measure. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007251335637