Record Store Day - January 27, 2020

Record Store Day

By, Michael Earnshaw

January 27, 2020

Tuesday was always my favorite day of the week. Once I hit my college career I did everything in my power to ensure that if any of my courses had to be taken on a Tuesday I chose the ones that were in the later morning, afternoon, or evening. This wasn’t because many of the local establishments ran Monday evening specials where we could get pitchers of Killian’s for $3 and hang out throwing darts until the “Loser Lights” came on. No. Tuesdays were always the day I would set an alarm to be up no later than 8:30 regardless of what nightly hour my foggy head soldered with my bag of feathers. When you’re in your early 20’s, celebrating late summer nights with friends, early wake-ups would typically be around noon. Not on Tuesdays. 

Tuesday had something special that no other day of the week could ever touch. Tuesday was record release day! Music has always been a major part of my life, getting me through good times and bad. Music is the glue that has held so many strong friendships and memories together all these years.

Ever since I graduated high school in ‘98, there wasn’t a Tuesday that I wasn’t eagerly waiting at the stickered up door of my local independent record store minutes before they unlocked. I couldn’t wait to cross through their majestic threshold and get my hands, and ears, on all of the newest releases that would transcend me to a much better place. Music was my drug and I was picking up new soundtracks for my life that contained tunes that would serve as the backdrop for many memories with dear friends that I still treasure today. 

The days following Tuesday were special as well. These were the days I spent learning and studying all of the lyrics to the newest CD’s blaring through my Pioneer CD player in my Pontiac Grand Am. I analyzed the stories and messages my favorite punk bands were screaming about, drawing connections to earlier lessons they delivered on previous records, and tying it to the current state of our world. I admired the passion and love of what they had put out for me as much as the memories I made with my friends discussing the beauty of the music. 

Why am I sharing my love of picking up new music on a Tuesday and then spending the remaining days of the week studying and analyzing these messages? Because this is exactly what we should strive to have our classrooms resemble. My love for picking up new music weekly, and then understanding everything I could behind it, is how our lessons should be designed for our students. 

There’s so much talk of creating experiences in our classrooms, engaging our students in a love of learning, bringing our passions to them through our lessons. This is exactly how my weeks were structured with my love of music. Some weeks only one great record was dropped, others I was picking up three to four. Our classrooms are the same. We can’t expect teachers to have out of the box lessons every day of the week. But they can bring at least one every week. One lesson so strong, so different, so engaging, rigorous, and out of the box that will have their students salivating for the next gem the following week. 

Once we become comfortable creating these experiences for our students, the juices are flowing. Like anything, the more we practice the better we become. That’s when you’ll seem to be dropping more than one record a week for your students. Some will be bigger, like a full length LP, while others may just be a short little burst, like when a band releases an EP of 4 or so songs to build anticipation before their next proper release. 

We’ve now come to a day and age where CD sales have dropped significantly. Many of the independent record stores I loved have closed their doors for the last time. Music is still a huge part of my life, and I still look forward to new releases every week. Instead of getting in my car and driving to those stores I long for, I now pick up my phone first thing every Friday morning and go to my Spotify app to see what is new and start studying. 

Times have changed, the process has changed, but my excitement for new music, which is now Friday, and my love for studying the lessons and messages hasn’t. 

How often are you releasing new records for our students? The day of the week doesn’t matter anymore, but new releases must drop regularly. 

My Friends Look Out for Me Like Family - October 2, 2019

My Friends Look Out for Me Like Family 

By, Michael Earnshaw 

October 2, 2019

@mearnshaw158 

 

Growing up I never truly felt like I belonged. I had friends, we hung out, had good times, but I always felt like an outcast. 

 Sports were out of the question. I tried baseball. T-ball in kindergarten, did ok until coach pitch began. 1st grade I played Little League. I can sum up that season with a comment from one of the umpires. I was trembling as I approached home plate, mentally preparing myself for my best statue impersonation while a 6-year-old through fire towards me, just like when Mario gets a hold of the orange flower. As I creepily began to take my position, secretly wishing that my sloth-like movements would take so long the game got called, the umpire shockingly eyes me as if I'm an all-star and bellows, “Aren’t you the kid that always gets hit?” Yes, that’s me, would you like me to autograph this ball that’s about to impact my shoulder? My parents believed in my baseball career so much they signed me up for T-ball in second grade. Yes, a second grader playing T-ball with Kindergarten students. Yes, I again hit off the T the first half of the season and yes, again, I could not hit off the coach.  

I was smart, but not smart enough for the advanced classes. I was right in the middle of the mix. Most of my classes were made up of you guessed it, athletes. Nothing against them, but we just didn’t relate and once conversations began about sports, uuuggghhh... 

Drama? Nope. If you looked up “Stage Fright” in a dictionary I’d be there sharing a smile from ear to ear and a big “Thumbs up!”  

There were always two things I could rely on after going through each day of middle school like this: my skateboard and punk rock music.  

Skating and punk always elevated me to another place. I could be myself, express myself in my way, and put a genuine smile on my face. If it wasn’t for skateboarding and punk rock bands like Rancid, Voodoo Glow Skulls, NOFX, and Progagandhi, I would not be who I am today.  

High school was when things began to turn around. I was finally in a melting pot with so many more personalities and individuals than what my small middle school provided. I was able to find a crew that felt like me. We were able to bond together for hours in an empty parking lot, grinding over and over on that waxed up parking block, or kickflipping over the small set of cracked stairs connecting the neighboring paint store lot.  

Once we hit 16, yep, driving! There wasn’t a Friday or Saturday night where we weren’t at a punk show in a neighboring town or Chicago! The camaraderie was strong and when we entered the venue for the night we all knew that nothing or nobody could take away the sweat, tears, and memories we were creating.  

This crew was more than a group we went to shows with. If someone needed a ride to work or home, we dropped what we were doing and got them there. Someone was short on cash? No worries, I’ll cover your Taco Hell this time, you get mine next. Relationship problems? I’ll be there in 10 and we’ll go grab some new music and cruise around. Need a place to crash for the night? Don’t worry, my couch is always open. We looked out for each other like family. We had our core circle of friends, and it extended out to the world just as a family tree does.  

Education is no different. No matter what your role is, you need a crew, or as we now call it, a PLN, Professional Learning Network. No one person has all the answers. No one person is an expert in every field or situation that arises in education. No one person can give their all for kids every single day and not start to get stressed out or have a strain on their heart from the stories and lives that many of our students are now coming to us with.  

If you are an educator that “clocks” in from 8-3, eats by yourself, doesn’t lean on colleagues for advice and/or support or offer any to the whole, chances are you will have a miserable career and may not even stay in it. We are all in this game for the same reason, to better the lives of our children, to bring them confidence, to help them realize their own strengths, and to set goals to help others and change the world. We cannot do this alone. We must unite and help each other along the way.  

Here’s some tips and tricks to build your PLN and help you along your journey:  

1. 1. Get to school 10 minutes earlier than normal or stay 10 minutes later. Don’t just hunker down in your classroom or office. Walk around, see who else is in the building and strike up a conversation. Talk about school, your successes and struggles this year. Talk about life. Build a relationship. Relationships are key to changing lives.  
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2. 2. In meetings when it’s time to collaborate, do not team up with those you always work with and socialize with. Find that colleague you give a smile to every day but never have truly gotten to know. Work with others that are not directly tied to your specialty. Administrators, assign groups, just as teachers do for students. One technique I do is pass out a playing card to every staff member as they enter a meeting. We then pair up by numbers, suits, or colors.  
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3. 3. Get connected on social media! Believe it or not, there are educators across the world looking for support and excited to provide some! By working with others not directly in our circle gets us fresh ideas, new perspectives, and a reinvigorating push we sometimes desperately need. It wasn’t until I fully embraced Twitter that I grew as an educator, leader, and individual. I have met so many amazing people and built true, strong friendships. I know that I could not do this without their support. We all have amazing strengths and stories to share, tell them before someone else does.  
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Embrace the strengths you hold. When a member of your crew, your PLN, is struggling in that arena, help them out. When someone is down, pick them back up. Iron sharpens iron, we are stronger together. Education is not about egos. This game isn’t for us, it’s for our children and for all our futures. If we truly want to create a better world we must unite and fight the good fight together.  

7 to 8 Minutes - September 3, 2019

7 to 8 Minutes  

By, Michael Earnshaw 

September 3, 2019 

@mearnshaw158 

One of the numerous qualities I love about punk rock is that there is always a perfect place and time for a show. Punk rock is about delivering a message, getting everyone involved, and birthing a fun and memorable experience. Some of the greatest shows I've ever been an active participant of were hosted in dusty garages and driveways in desire of a new coat of tar, musty unfinished basements, over sized broom closets named “Off the Alley”, and even a minuscule and cramped bowling alley in Chicago, The Fireside Bowl.  

I’ll never forget the first time I was able to sing along live with one of my favorite hometown bands, 88 Fingers Louie. We were all at the Fireside Bowl, waiting to see the hardcore ska band Link 80 from California’s East Bay. The opening bands had run their sets and we were left waiting shoulder to shoulder in what is basically a long, narrow hallway. At the Fireside Bowl the bowling lanes were still functioning and took up over half of the venue. Time kept ticking away, the aroma of sweat covered punks permeated through the smoke-filled air when eventually someone received a page or message (this was before texting) that Link 80 had gotten lost and were running late. It just so happened that 88 Fingers Louie were all in attendance. Next thing I know is that they take to the small wooden stage and announce, “Alright, we’re Link 88!” Immediately they tear into my favorite tune of theirs, and to this day still one of my favorite songs of all time, “Past Mistakes.”  

“Link 88” only played three tracks that night, but I'll never forget that being my first-time slam dancing to them live, unexpectedly, in my favorite venue. Looking back now there was a lot to learn from this punk rock lesson.  

1. 1. Timing - There’s never a bad time to teach a lesson. As educators, we must take advantage of every moment we’re with kids. This includes before and after school, passing in the halls, the cafeteria, and weekend events. Kids are depending on us. Even if it’s not our “contractual teaching time,” kids need us to take the stage and deliver at any time. It’s these impromptu lessons, the lessons we didn’t plan or prepare for, that are going to have the greatest impact on them. These are the lessons that we will be remembered for, not fractions and context clues, but the time to speak with them when they least expected it. Read more about connecting with kids in a previous blog post, “After the Show.”
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2. 2. Equipment – 88 Fingers Louie did not have their equipment with them that night. They were meshed into the crowd of bodies, there as fans, just like the rest of our crew. They could have easily said, “Sorry, I don’t have my drum kit...that’s not my guitar.” Instead, they used what they had in the moment to turn what could have been a bad situation into something memorable. It’s easy for educators to say, “Well yeah, it’d be much easier if our district bought that app!” Or, “That school has more funding than us so what do you expect?” Our kids deserve the best world changing lessons every day. YOU are all students need. Take advantage of what you have, your resources, and make memorable, life changing experiences for them. Stop making excuses or wishing you had the new “it” item in education. I’ll never forget when SmartBoards were first taking up residences in classrooms. My colleague, peer, and friend was an art teacher and created his own interactive white board by using a projector and Nintendo Wii remotes. Help isn’t coming. The funds many think will make their jobs easier are not on the way. We already have everything we need to deliver our message. Read more about adopting a DIY approach to education here. 
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3. 3. Passion – When 88 Fingers Louie took the stage the three tracks they ripped through were played with just as much passion as if they were playing a planned show they created a set list, practiced, and prepared for. They knew they had fans depending on them, and while they could have easily gone on stage and just went through the motions to bide time, they knew we were counting on them. They took advantage of a moment and connected with us. I know that this small act, these three songs, helped to make them become one of my favorite bands and enjoy them that much more after this night. This small act proved that they truly loved the punk rock scene and were invested in it, and most importantly, the fans. Teachable moments are all around us, read more about them here and begin taking advantage of these times to make a difference in other’s lives.   
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It is crucial that we take advantage of every moment with our students and colleagues. Just because we may be having a bad day does not give us the right to bring others down with us. It’s ok, we all have those days when we can’t check every piece of baggage at the door before we enter school. We must always remember it’s never acceptable to take out what we’re going through on others, especially our kids. We must give them our all every single day. It’s the small acts that we do, the acts that seem meaningless to us, that make a world of difference to others. Taking advantage of these teachable moments is what we will be remembered for and help plant the seed in others to begin working to change the world for the better.