A CLASS OF
ITS OWN
THE HISTORY OF ROCK
WITH TIM BROWN
A
n unfortunate consequence of the standardization
of schools is that an assumption is being made
that every child is going to learn in the same way
and that the same curriculum will help him or her
succeed. That may be the case for many, but what about
the students who fall through the cracks or simply learn
better in other ways? What happens to them? Unfortunately,
many of them begin to fall behind. There is a solution,
however, and the administration of Smoky Hill High
School has seen fit to implement it, putting Tim Brown
in charge of a class that covers music spanning from
contemporary hits back to the 40s—The History of Rock.
The History of Rock is not a mandatory class for students.
Instead, it is an elective that they can choose to take
either for fun or as a way to aid in credit recovery for
missed or failed classes in previous years. About 75
percent of the students who take the class have struggled
with schoolwork in the past in some way, and in some
cases, they are not on the path to graduation.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the class is the
way that Tim teaches it. Efforts are put in to research
source materials for the time periods being studied so
that the music can be explained in its social and historical
contexts. The importance of artists such as Bob Dylan
as both poets and musicians is stressed. The way lyrics
can tie into history and language is covered. In this way,
students learn not only about music but also the events
behind the music and how everything fits together.
Over the years, many students have approached Tim
and spoken with him about how his class affected their
lives. Many of them were simply glad to have a class in
which they could talk about the things that they were
interested in. Just that little bit of encouragement kept
some coming back to school day after day rather than
falling by the wayside. For others, it was the push that
got them interested in continuing their education and
going on to college. After all, keeping students engaged
in their education is a vital element of teaching.
The key takeaway here is that not every student is the
same. The staff and administration of Smoky Hill in
Aurora have taken strides not only to improve the general
curriculum, but also to offer out-of-the-box solutions for
students who may not fit into the traditional educational
paradigm. The History of Rock class is one example among
many; it provides students with a way to connect with
not only music and culture but also their other classes
in a way that more traditional teaching
methods may not be able to. Tim Brown
and his class are a testament to what
can be accomplished with the right
mind-set and the right goals.
Tim Brown has been teaching at Smoky
Hill High School for over fifteen years in
theatre and English. He is a graduate of
the University of Colorado and a native of
Denver. Tim travelled to the Rock & Roll
Hall of Fame in Cleveland last summer,
allowing him to use that experience in his
History of Rock classroom.
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