5 Gangsta Rap Songs Perfect for Teachers to Get Through the School Year
This article was written by Patricia Anne — an educational badass for 11 ½ years in the high school English classroom, punning her way through each day. Check her out on her blog.
DO YOU WANT TO WRITE FOR BORED TEACHERS? CHECK OUT OUR GUIDELINES & SEND YOUR SUBMISSION TO: BLOG@BOREDTEACHERS.COM!
New year, a new you. The holidays are over and it's officially the longest part of the school year. Those agonizing months where you pray for a snow day, or President's day, or any reason to be back on break again. The long haul of 5+ months until summer is here and how are you going to stay motivated as a teacher? You know what to do...
Put your hair in a bun, throw on some gangsta rap, and get sh*t done!
Here are 5 perfect rap songs for teachers to get that blood flowing and your energy up, to face the bleak days ahead until summer break.
1. "Regulate" - Warren G ft. Nate Dogg
"But you can't be any geek off the street,/Gotta be handy with the steel if you know what I mean/ earn your keep! Regulators!!! Mount up!"
This is the rally call to all teachers after the holiday break. You need to be at the top of your game to get those sugar-filled students back into the swing of things. You gotta pull out all your tricks for managing behavior, getting students interested and involved and this calling is not for the faint of heart. During those first weeks, yes weeks, back, you need to be ready to mount up and answer the call of duty in your classroom and the hallways.
2. "Parents Just Don't Understand" - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
"Well, parents are the same no matter time nor place/ So to all you kids all across the land/ Take it from me, parents just don't understand."
For as long as there have been holiday breaks from school it is the same old story. Parents can't wait to send their children back to you because they can't take spending the 7 hours a day for which you have them with their own children. There's no training to be a parent, but educators go through rigorous classes on best practices and soak up all the knowledge from each school provided training session to be able to do what you do. Chalk one up for teachers, parents may never get it if they haven't walked in an educator's shoes.
3. "Make 'Em Say Ugh" - Master P<
"I'm down here slangin, rollin with these hustlers, tryin to get rid of all you hatas and you bustas..."
You're doing your thing in your classrooms, getting through that curriculum, preparing for that next test or some other form of assessment. You're being observed, charted, and critiqued… by students and administrative personnel alike. It's easy to invoke the groan of a student, but you persist and it won't be long until you've got them saying "ohhhh" as a wave of enlightenment washes over their newly informed minds. Stay strong my friend.
4. "Hard Knock Life" - Jay Z
"I don't know how to sleep, I gotta eat, stay on my toes/ Got a lotta beef, so logically, I prey on my foes/ Hustlin' is still inside of me, and as far as progress/ You'd be hard-pressed to find another rapper hot as me."
The nights before a return from break, Sunday nights, a teacher can never get a good night's rest. You know what awaits you within the confines of those classroom walls. But despite the nerves that may have you anxious, you're a hustler of educational material and you will get those students heading towards progress if it's the last thing you do.
5. "Y'all Gon Make Me Lose My Mind" - DMX
"Y'all gon' make me lose my mind up in here, up in here/ Y'all gon' make me go all out up in here, up in here/ Y'all gon' make me act a fool up in here, up in here/Y'all gon' make me lose my cool up in here, up in here"
It won't take long post-holiday to hit a wall, a breaking point where you think you will truly go over the edge this time. You do what it takes to bring the education to the masses, whether it be making a fool of yourself for their educational gain and entertainment, or lose your cool as your passion for your subject matter or grade takes over. There's a reason you became a teacher in the first place, and most likely it wasn't for the pay or the summers "off." And while it all can be overwhelming and make you "lose your mind" there will be something that makes it all worthwhile again…. Wait for it….
So take a deep breath, a drink of a caffeinated beverage, and rally with your coworkers as you hip hop your way through those school doors day in and day out and day in and day out… through these dragging months until summer break.
SHARE this ARTICLE!
Leave a comment