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Why Do Rappers Send Their Kids to College?

11/22/2015

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I currently work at a middle school in Los Angeles, CA, where hip hop culture is prevalent and thriving. A great majority of the student population loves rap music, just like students loved their rock and roll in previous generations. I will be the first to admit that some of today's rap music is actually appealing to my ears. However, as an educator, I wish that rappers would promote education in their lyrics like they promote education in their own household. While it is a known fact that today's rap music does not generally promote education, there are many rappers who have attended college and who currently send their kids to college (Diddy, Snoop Dog, Master P, etc.).

Since a rapper's fan base includes millions of people, many of whom are adolescents, my wondering is what it would take to get rappers to promote education in their music. How hard can it be? After all, if rappers are sending their kids to high performing schools and prestigious colleges, they must value education. The students at my school, or any other school, might be inspired to attend college themselves if they knew their favorite rapper was interested in higher learning.

The bottom line is that educators/teachers need help inspiring this generation of students to prioritize education. In an era where pop culture and music consume a student's time, students would benefit from hearing positive lyrics on education from their favorite artist(s). Instead, students are hearing lyrics that promote everything but an education (i.e., sex, drugs, crime, and money).

I am curious to hear your thoughts on why rappers send their kids to college. How might students be encouraged to attend college through rap music?     
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Who Is Your Favorite Teacher?

11/22/2015

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Without a doubt, a teacher's influence is multi-faceted and can serve as an inspiration to students. I am thankful for the many teachers who positively impacted my life and career. Two teachers in particular were Ms. Lewis, my kindergarten teacher, and Mr. Shoots, my 10th grade English teacher.

Ms. Lewis made learning fun and exciting. I absolutely loved coming to school just to see what she had in store for the day. She taught her students the alphabet with food. Every letter represented a different kind of food. What student is not enticed by food? Ms. Lewis was also a perfect replica of the energizer bunny. She actually made us tired! We were always out of our seats, working on a project, building something, eating something, working together, and learning in between. Thinking about her brings a smile to my face. :) Thank you Ms. Lewis, for an incredible, indelible, and delectable kindergarten experience!

Mr. Shoots was very serious about reading, writing, and presenting. I attribute my success with all three to him. We read novels and made connections to real life by presenting universal themes and important concepts about the book. Mr. Shoots was an expert at teaching and modeling writing. When he assigned an essay, he graded it with multiple colors. Each color represented an area of writing (thesis, topic sentences, evidence, conventions, etc.). His feedback was actionable and invaluable. My college finals (on-demand essays), master's thesis, master's writing exam, dissertation, and book reflect his influence. And for this, I am eternally grateful!

Who was your favorite teacher? Share a story of your favorite teacher with people around the world by responding to this blog. You can also tweet your favorite teacher (and the reason) to @acaciatreelearn with #myfavoriteteacher 


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    Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. 
    - John Dewey

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Acacia M. Warren, Ed.D.
acacia@acaciatreelearning.com



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