If you have walked past my room while I am planning, you have probably noticed that I’m playing music. I have always loved music - a wide variety of genres and styles.
When I was younger, I had an extensive collection of records. (Do you know what those are?) I had so many crates of 33rpm records that moving into and out of my dorm room at college was a chore - I had to make multiple trips up and down the stairs with the heavy crates. Records were very heavy.
Now, in the digital age, I have an extensive library of songs and albums. They are stored in the could and I can access them from all my devices. It helped that I worked at a radio station for a few years. Each night I would borrow a stack of CD’s. (Do you know what those are?) and rip them into my computer, then bring them back and borrow more.
I find listening to music helps me work - up to a point. When I really, really have to dig in and concentrate, I have to turn it off. For the most part, however, I’m happy to get my lessons planned, work copied, whiteboards updated, labs set-up and cleaned-up with music playing.
In theory, I would love to allow you to listen to music while you work, but there are several things in the way.
First off, it’s against school rules. Just like wearing hats and hoodies in school, you are not allowed to listen to music while you work. Period.
Next, some of my students would spend more time looking for just the right song than they would spend actually doing their work. I have seen this happen with my own eyes. Clearly, this is not productive.
Finally, some of your choices are, uhhhh, not appropriate for school. We can not condone you listing to profanity-laden, suggestive, or potentially violent songs in school. It’s just wrong. If the adults in your home let you listen to that, so be it. But, not in school on school devices.
My suggestion, groove on your tunes while you’re doing homework…at home.
