Music is a fantastic way to bribe (ahem) encourage high school students to behave in the classroom.  Nobody is allergic, it won’t send anyone into a diabetic coma, and it is free if you have YouTube!  I let each student pick a song to add to our ever-expanding playlist.  It can be any genre as long as the lyrics are appropriate for a classroom.  I am fairly conservative with my judgment because I don’t want my principal walking in to “I Wanna Sex You Up” type lyrics.  Also, my classroom is in a psychiatric treatment center and we have to be aware of patients’ triggers.  If the song is screamy or super energizing, we might save it for an exercise break, clean up time, or as part of a game.  I don’t play Lamb of God’s Set to Fail when we are in the middle of a test.  Common sense needed.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc-C3Iove3I

As long as students are working, giving best effort, and meeting expectations, we play our class playlist.  If not, the music gets turned off.  I love it when I hear kids policing each other.  “Stop talking to me or she’ll turn off the music.”  “Do your work or she’s going to turn off the music.”  It brings joy to my heart.  Another one I’ve heard is “Be nice to her, she lets us listen to music.”  I wonder if music has helped keep me from getting punched in the face all these years…

One of the coolest effects of music chosen by students is all the new songs I have been exposed to because of their varied tastes.  I never would have found some of these songs or artists on my own.   These may not be the clean versions, so if you are a teacher, be sure to listen to them for yourself before playing them for your particular group of kids.  Students introduced me to the following:                 Weak by Wet.                                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L2tfNrKsYI                                Steve Lacy’s      C U Girl                                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KJIUXbfARk                               This Too Shall Pass by Ok Go                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juX7VJIMsqc                               High Tops by Del Water Gap                                                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksrb33z3boo                                         Alec Benjamin’s My Mother’s Eyes  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q_15W7eBH8                                   Color Blind by Diplo (featuring Lil Xan) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ResGBWo10GQ                                  Juice WRLD’s Lucid Dreams                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fh64GbFSw4                                      Long Black Train by Josh Turner                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZtwxc423jg                                          Falling Down by Lil Peep and XXXTentacion    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0jIW_pgGzE

Those are just a few from the last semester that I thought were worth sharing.  Since I mostly listen to easy listening/70’s/80’s/Pop music, it introduces me to some of the new stuff kids like (or old stuff I’ve never been exposed to.)  And I get to share some of the songs I like with them.  Many have never heard songs I choose by Prince, Bob Dylan, The Who, The Beatles, Blondie, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Duran Duran, The Cure, U2, etc.  They are intrigued, though, often write down the name of the song and band and want to look it up when they get home.  It fosters a back and forth that is purely enjoyment based.

I may tweak my system a little this year, but will definitely still be using music in my classroom to foster interest, good behavior, and a little bit of buy in to our classroom.  It’s like saying, “I get you.  Your taste in music is noted and appreciated.  Let’s share it with everyone.”

(The picture above is Lil Xan, a current musician? some of the kids like.   All music was once radical to somebody.)