The concept of “hardcore” has a wide-range of meanings that conjures various images, from rioting soccer fans to wrestlers on television. For me, I immediately think of the hardcore music scene that I have observed and been a part of since I was in middle school. When I was deciding to start this blog, “Hardcore Teaching” was a name I kept coming back to, but I was hesitant to use the word “hardcore”, because it can be so misinterpreted and so many people have preconceived ideas about what the term means. But I decided I had to be true to myself. The teacher I am today has been shaped by the hardcore/punk music scene and I see Hardcore Teachers every day making education a little better than it was the day before.
What does it mean to be a Hardcore Teacher?
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| Background image credited to Nathan Congleton with additional editing by Jeremy McClary. |
Diversity & Unity: Coming from a relatively homogeneous community in Western Michigan, I was not exposed to a lot of diversity. It was within the hardcore and punk rock scenes that I first met and became friends with people from a wide range of cultures. I met people who identified as members of the LGBT community. I became friends with people from different races and religions. And all of this diversity was not only tolerated, but accepted and embraced inside of the four walls of wherever the bands were playing. Relationships were the foundation of these music scenes and everyone felt connected through the music and each other. This same acceptance of diversity is found in Hardcore Teachers. Schools are becoming increasingly diverse and I see teachers striving to become culturally proficient and promoting the differences of their students. Hardcore Teachers connect with their students as individuals and promote community inside of their classrooms, schools, and communities. They collaborate with their colleagues and make connections around the world through PLNs, social media, and blogs.
Positive Change: Scrolling through Twitter, I see educator after educator pushing boundaries, incorporating innovative practices, and fighting for their students and other educators. These educators embody the principle of PMA, or Positive Mental Attitude. Bands like Bad Brains and H2O have been promoting PMA for years. PMA is more than just being positive, it means being the change you want to see in the world. This is what first attracted me to the hardcore scene; seeing people in my community that were my age responding to political and social issues. They were fighting against injustices that they saw around the world and doing more than just complaining. Hardcore Teachers are doing what is right for their students even in the face of adversity and opposition from others. They are using technology to transform their classrooms and provide authentic experiences for their students that were not possible before. They are utilizing crowdfunding to get resources for their students so they have no limits on their education because of their zip code. They speak truth to power and demand more from our leaders when it comes to our students, both inside and outside of the school building.
What to expect from Hardcore Teaching?
Being true to the hardcore music scene, I will strive to keep this blog honest and authentic. I will share my successes and struggles in everything I do and try to give a real look at what I am currently up to. I discuss and reflect on all of the above topics regularly with colleagues and members of my PLN and will write about some of those thoughts. Reviews of various apps, technologies, or books related to education and ways that I am incorporating these resources in my classroom will also be covered. From time to time I will interview Hardcore Teachers and even have them write some posts to share their experiences in the classroom and beyond.
I would like to thank the following people for inspiring me and/or assisting me on the journey that is this blog:
- My awesome wife, Beth McClary (@beth_mcclary), for helping me through the whole process and being my primary editor.
- The best colleague a teacher could ask for, Andrew Kozlowsky (@MrKoz31) for continually pushing me. Check out The Social Studies Lab.
- And for connecting hardcore music with education, I have to credit David Theriault(@davidtedu) and Tim Floyd (@TimFloyd_edu). Make sure you go to David’s blog, the readiness is all, to be both inspired and amazed. If you want to see how hardcore/punk rock music has influenced Tim’s educational philosophy, click here.
- And most of all, the ever-growing number of Hardcore Teachers that I meet and read about on a daily basis! I hope this blog inspires you in the same way that you have inspired me and we can continue to grow together and give our all for students and education as a whole.
