What does the Fox say?

    

    Along with all the other responsibilities, teachers have the responsibility of motivating students. Since students are of a different generation, it is imperative to motivate students by using devices from their time. The greatest influence over teenagers in middle school currently are: peers/ friends; music/entertainment world and social media. I have heard the superintendent of the Poughkeepsie City School District, firsthand, admonish the teachers to employ these influences in the classroom to teach Math, Social Studies, Science, English, Art and any other academic course.
    The teacher, I am observing, uses you tube videos as an incentive when students are well-behaved, especially when substitute teachers come in to cover for her. When only one class out of her classes was on their best behavior for the substitute, she devoted the last five minutes of class to  watching Ylvis' music video. The music video is of a popular silly song titled, "What does the fox say?" The purpose of this teacher allowing her students to watch this music video has nothing to with academics but everything to do with motivating her students to behave when she is present and behave when she isn't. 

 Today's generation is heavily engrossed with music. Music is on the phones students carry, the tablets students have, the mp3 players students buy, the list goes on and on. Music plays a hefty role in the day to day lives of students, so it seems like common sense to employ it in the classroom.  Every Wednesday, students of the Poughkeepsie Middle School have Advisory instead of homeroom. Advisory is a chance for students to be refocused, inspired and mentored to say the least. During one advisory, a teacher listed the top five songs from the 100 Billboard list. She posted the financial status of each artist to stimulate an engaging conversation about the Scott Scholarly Word: SUCCESS. She used something the students could relate to motivate students to come to school "dressed for success" and understand the importance of being prepared.

     The vast majority of teens, listen to rap/hip hop. The most impacting component of any music including rap/hip hop are the lyrics. The beat grabs listeners attention but the words KEEPS the listeners attention. If Drake can heighten the coined phrase, "You Only Live Once" as The Motto, then the building principle of the Middle School can include the Scott Scholarly Words to motivate students to strive for excellence on a  daily bases. The principle believes in the Power and influence of words, so if students are hearing from a network of adults all throughout the building the same words from first period to ninth period, then he believes the motivation to overcome peer pressure, strive to DEMONSTRATE characteristics of young men and women on the verge of entering into society.


     As a teacher pointed out another hit from the artist Drake entitled, "No New Friends," she challenged her students to evaluate their friendships.
The class is reading a text about an unhealthy relationship between two characters, she put up the lyrics of Drake's song, she even played a minute of the song in the class. Then she put up a rubric for the children to evaluate their closest friend. She encouraged the students to take into consideration the friends' behavior in school, outside of school, on social media. She motivated students to think critically about the peers given the title: Friend.










            Students of all ages are, all of sudden thinking, what does the fox say? All because the young, handsome artist Ylvis prompt listeners to inquire about such a question. Along with the many other responsibilities, teachers are responsible for motivating students. Rather it is using music in the class to teach academic concepts or as an incentive for good behavior or a way to encourage students to make wiser choices.