Education
Empowering students through hip-hop for social emotional learning: How a former teacher is revolutionizing education
Jamila Sams is a former educator, hip-hop executive and businesswoman. As the founding father of We Do It For The Culture, Sams uses her experience and keenness to assist children develop social emotional learning (SEL) skills by developing a curriculum rooted in hip-hop culture. The curriculum is designed to interact students in meaningful lessons that transcend academics.
BLACK ENTERPRISES I spoke with Sams about We Do It For The Culture’s mission, processes and motivation. When asked why she left the normal school system, her story echoes that of many teachers across the country.
“Last year as an administrator, I faced the challenge of taking up the position of deputy principal in the so-called school of change. I wanted to raise awareness among students and parents. “But it took a lot of effort on my part to overcome all those layers of, as Lauren says, ‘Bad parenting,’” she said.
“There weren’t enough Jamilas in the room for the work to get done. I burned out.”
Understanding that the necessity for mental and emotional support is greater than anybody individual can provide, Sams moved away from traditional education. Sams, a hip-hop enthusiast, is considered a Generation and innovation, the brand new generation of popular rap, critics say, sometimes focuses on negative stereotypes. Sams says that while the culture has modified, “we don’t have to demean” the brand new guard. According to Sams, there are methods to fill the gaps and use the essence of culture to assist students learn and develop.
“We can talk about the RICO case with Gunna through the lens of citizen action. Should song lyrics be used in court? Let’s have a debate on this. We can confirm what you’re listening to, Gunna, stud Meg or whoever. Then talk about things that haven’t been said, like civil matters or mental health,” Sams said.
Sams knows schools which have implemented programs “across the pedagogy of hip-hop and even the pedagogy of energetic engagement. There are many obstacles to implementing such a program. For this system to be effective, each school districts and teachers must engage.
She explained, “I want to know if everyone knows the mission and vision of your school? What are the approach to students’ voice and their choices? We will adjust the training based on this data.”
We Do It For The Culture is so dedicated and assured in its ability to assist students thrive that a free yearly subscription is offered. TO BE When asked why Sams decided to sacrifice this offer, she replied:
“I’m giving it away because culture is free, right? When you think about it, VolThese are things we just do organically. So if taking advantage of these free lessons can help you connect with your students, then by all means.”
Sams has partnered with institutions outside the varsity system, comparable to the National Urban League and Big Brother Big Sisters. It invites schools from all demographics to hitch because culture encompasses all demographics and We Do It For The Culture has been a success across the United States.
“Most people don’t seem to understand that hip-hop is universal and there are many neighborhoods, especially in the suburbs, where students are involved in hip-hop culture. The has influence. It’s really interesting to see the impact this has in spaces like Portland, Oregon, and Lancaster, Texas,” she said.
With success across the state, Sams hopes to expand the curriculum.
He says, “We want to be able to use this culture to raise awareness about things that are happening in different parts of the world where people are not seen, heard and appreciated.”
This will probably be the subsequent stage of culture, adapting content based on geographical locations.