Hip-Hop Mentality: Empowering Teachers to Develop a Mindset to Recognize Hip-Hop and Youth Culture as an Asset to the School Community

• In Event: The Beauties, Tensions, and Power of Critical Hip-Hop Pedagogy: An Interactive Dialogue

Abstract

For over two decades, Hip Hop Based Education (HHBE) has manifested in the academy through scholarly research and studies focusing primarily on understanding student experiences through culturally relevant and critical theories. Few studies have been dedicated to understanding the experiences of teachers trying to implement Hip Hop pedagogy into their classrooms. Through professional development workshops, questionnaires, and feedback from teachers, the authors discovered that a shift in mindset is necessary to enact this type of pedagogy. This mindset shift, which the authors link to the foundation of Hip Hop culture, is identified as a Hip Hop mentality. In this paper, the authors discuss how they cultivated their own Hip Hop mentality, illustrate a path toward exploring that mentality, and share insights gained from teachers about their journey toward this new way of thinking. By doing so, they provide valuable insights for readers who wish to adopt a similar mindset.

Authors

• Jason D. Rawls, The Ohio State University

• John W. Robinson