A CLASS OF ITS OWN
THE HISTORY OF ROCK WITH TIM BROWN
An 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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