Personalizing Your Teaching Tools¶
EchoVQ is designed to adapt to you, not the other way around. This section covers advanced customization options that make the platform feel like it was built for your specific teaching approach. (For basic setup, see "Getting Started as a Teacher.")
Teaching Preferences (Recap + Advanced)¶
You set these during initial setup, but you can change them anytime:
Access: Settings → General Settings or Teaching Preferences
Key settings: - Teaching Methodology: Traditional, Holistic, Technique-Focused, Performance-Oriented - Teaching Style: Supportive, Direct, Analytical, Conversational - Student Level Preference: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced, All Levels - Analysis Depth: Basic, Moderate, Detailed, Comprehensive - Provide Student Glossary: Yes/No (show students definitions of vocal terms)
Why adjust these: As you use the platform, you'll learn what level of detail works for you. If dashboards feel overwhelming, dial down to "Basic" analysis depth. If you want more data, dial up to "Comprehensive."
Custom Vocal Terminology¶
If you use specialized terminology (Somatic Voicework™, Estill Voice Training, functional terms, etc.), you can replace EchoVQ's default terms with yours.
How it works: - EchoVQ has default terms (e.g., "head voice," "chest voice," "mixed voice") - You create custom mappings (e.g., "head voice" → "cricothyroid-dominant production") - Students see your terminology instead of defaults
How to set custom terms: 1. Go to Settings → Terminology Preferences 2. Click "Add Custom Term" 3. Enter: - Standard term: The default EchoVQ term (e.g., "head voice") - Your preferred term: Your replacement (e.g., "upper register coordination") 4. Save
Why this matters: Consistency. If you've been using certain terms for years, students learn faster when the platform uses the same language.
Knowledge Base Documents¶
Upload teaching materials (PDFs, Word docs, text files) for easy access and sharing.
How to upload: 1. Go to Settings → Knowledge Base 2. Click "Upload Document" 3. Choose file (PDF, DOCX, TXT) 4. Add title and description 5. Save
What to upload: - Warm-up routines - Practice logs - Repertoire suggestions - Audition prep checklists - IPA charts - Lyrics and translations
How to use them: - Reference in messages to students: "Check out the 'Breathing Exercises' doc I uploaded" - Quick access during lessons - Share links externally if needed
Focus Areas (Teaching Specializations)¶
Beyond the checkboxes in your profile setup, you can fine-tune focus areas that influence exercise recommendations.
How to manage: Settings → Teacher Profile → Focus Areas
What are focus areas: Specific vocal skills or techniques you emphasize in your teaching (e.g., Belting, Vibrato Development, Sight-Singing, Ear Training)
Why update these: As your teaching evolves, your focus might shift. Update your focus areas so EchoVQ recommends relevant exercises.