teacher playing these songs to 8th graders?

[Anonymous]

Am I being a stuffy old lady?

Situation: a teacher of 8th grade English plays music while kids are working. He shared his Spotify list ("Our Class Playlist") with the kids, and all the songs are rap, mostly by people I don't recognize, but a lot of Kanye. This is the cool teacher who is an easy grader and who the kids love, so they are eager to listen to all his favorite music and to hear it in the classroom. For those who don't. know this type of music, google the lyrics to Kanye West's "Dark Fantasy", which is one of the songs on the playlist. I googled the lyrics of the other artists/songs on his list and most of them have similar language and content. All the same musical genre, too.

I just...that kind of content and language really rubs me the wrong way when I consider that he's given the list to 8th graders, that he plays those songs for them in class. I know a lot of them probably listen to that kind of music on their own, but would you be upset if this was your 13 year old kid's teacher?

[Anonymous]

Unless they are analyzing the lyrics as a literary exercise or studying the meter for their poetry unit, I really don't think it's appropriate to be playing music at school in general. A lot of people have trouble focusing while music is on so it is either distracting at best or a total time waster at worst.

As for the lyrics, it depends. I don't have as much of a problem with "bad" language personally as I would with something blatantly mysoginistic or violent, for example. Either way, it's a risk and the teacher has to know a lot of parents wouldn't like it.

[Anonymous]

I know schools will play music but they should keep it to the edited version. I'm a college professor and do that if I play music -- just no need to stir stuff up.

[Anonymous]

I don’t have a problem with the language of the songs for 8th graders, but I do have a problem with the teacher playing music for my kid with ADHD while she’s trying to work. This music, that she doesn’t like, would be very distracting. And I’m sure it’s very distracting to non ADHD kids (who don’t like this music) as well.

[Anonymous]

+ one million
They never did this in elementary or middle during the 1980s IME. When was this made a thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know schools will play music but they should keep it to the edited version. I'm a college professor and do that if I play music -- just no need to stir stuff up.

It's pretty pathetic that you're censoring to college students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+ one million
They never did this in elementary or middle during the 1980s IME. When was this made a thing?

When school administrators decided classrooms need to be FUN!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Music without lyrics helps me focus and I have ADHD. It helps a lot of kids focus too so there’s less talking/whispering and the teacher needing to talk to address that. A lot kids focus better with music on, but usually music that’s just instrumental like classical or coffee shop jazz... I’ve had kids request to listen to rainforest sounds too. As long as it’s not blaring loud or full of distracting words (making kids want to sing along or discuss the lyrics) then it’s usually helpful. There will always be a few kids who might prefer no music... but as a teacher sometimes you need to do what helps the majority of your class and music during writing helps most of my students and we’ve even done votes where most kids raise their hand bc they want music on.

[Anonymous]

For those of you who aren't familiar with the song in the OP, here's just a snippet. I starred out the profanity so the post wouldn't get deleted. The teacher shared the complete versions of all songs and plays them:

From "Dark Fantasy":

"You ain't got no f****n' Yeezy in your Serato?"
Stupid, but what the hell do I know?
I'm just a Chi-town n***a with a Nas flow
And my chick in that new Phoebe Philo
So much head, I woke up to Sleepy Hollow
Can we get much higher?
***
Look like a fat booty Céline Dion
Sex is on fire, I'm the King of Leon-a Lewis


Sensitive 8th grade girl hates this. Her mom is also sensitive, but consensus here seems to be we are overreacting, and I am prone to that.

[Anonymous]

They're in 8th grade. Outside of porn and torture films, there's really very little content that they can't handle or be exposed to. By 8th grade, I had read IT and The Stand and like 238908 harlequin romance.novels. I listened to Metallica and iron maiden.

It's fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know schools will play music but they should keep it to the edited version. I'm a college professor and do that if I play music -- just no need to stir stuff up.

It's pretty pathetic that you're censoring to college students.

If I typed out the lyrics to any of these songs there would be progressive shrieks of horror and Jeff would delete (censor) the post ASAP. Presumably were all adults here, so apparently language matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know schools will play music but they should keep it to the edited version. I'm a college professor and do that if I play music -- just no need to stir stuff up.

It's pretty pathetic that you're censoring to college students.

If I typed out the lyrics to any of these songs there would be progressive shrieks of horror and Jeff would delete (censor) the post ASAP. Presumably were all adults here, so apparently language matters.

Do you think progressives haven't heard Kanye?

[Anonymous]

I would contact the Principal and request that such songs not be played during school hours. A lot of schools draw the line somewhere in terms of propriety, and this is not appropriate in a middle school setting. It's also distracting, so even though I would have no problem with these lyrics in high school, it would still constitute a distraction.

- parent of a middle schooler and a high schooler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know schools will play music but they should keep it to the edited version. I'm a college professor and do that if I play music -- just no need to stir stuff up.

It's pretty pathetic that you're censoring to college students.

If I typed out the lyrics to any of these songs there would be progressive shrieks of horror and Jeff would delete (censor) the post ASAP. Presumably were all adults here, so apparently language matters.

Do you think progressives haven't heard Kanye?

I think if I typed out ni88er or c*nt there would be a collective REEEEEEEEEE from every progressive here. These words are prevalent in hip hop in case you didn't know.

[Anonymous]

I would not be okay with it. I admit I am overprotective but I wouldn’t play it in my house, my car, anywhere. Why does DC have to listen to it at school?