Do you know the two guys in the featured image for this blog? There’s a good chance your students do. Ryan Lewis is the gentleman on the left. And Macklemore is on the right. Their infectious radio hits have garnered them a Grammy nomination for New Artist of the Year.

And–about right now–they are the hands-down favorite to take away the little statuette.

But it is the video gone viral from two days ago that have me thinking that these two guys are more than just hip-hop and happening. More than marketing and mayhem. More than the place to be and the party that just got started because they walked in.

“Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Unleash NYC”

Courtesy of YouTube. Uploaded by The Grammys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lfA8w2zNZ8

When Macklemore hops aboard a NYC bus and begins rapping along with the boombox being carried by partner, Ryan Lewis, a lesson in attracting and holding attention is about to begin. 

Staged or not. . .we could talk about this all day long. It is more than possible that these two guys had already let this particular bus driver know that they would be boarding. Yes, you can outfit any vehicle with high-definition cameras at multiple angles for editing after the fact. But it is what happens during this two-minute, impromptu performance that is my take-away.

Let’s do a quick run-down of what happens if I am a passenger among the passengers on this bus on this particular morning:

1). Something interesting has just started happening when I wasn’t expecting it. . .

Our students come into the room each day at this point in the year with a set of expectations for what might happen in the course of the next 45-75 minutes that they will be in their seat. Have we become predictable in the name of routine. . .procedure. . .the way we do things?

2). I am not above what is happening. . .if I know this, I can be a part of this. . .

I love what I am calling the hipster couple that look at each other with the “Okay. . .what is this?” kind of visual exchange. It is limited to this though. We don’t get a sense from either of them beyond this point that they might stop and say, “We’ve seen this all before. Sheesh.” No. It’s novel. It’s new. It’s now.

3). I recognize this song. . .oh, man. . .this is so cool.

Our students come to us with a variety of things they know. Things they have done. Some of these things have been a part of their studies. And some have been a part of their course. Watch the fellow taking the “selfie.” He knows exactly what is happening. He is connected. He is capturing this moment in time as one wherein he is the residential expert.

4). I don’t know what’s happening, but I am open to it. 

You have to love the older gentleman on the bus. And his response to the two-minute cut from a popular single not on his radar is an indicator to the infectious quality of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. He doesn’t have to know what is happening to be a part of what is happening. And when the possibility of failing for not knowing is replaced by a desire to be a part of what is happening occurs, we have some buy-in. Our students don’t always know or have the necessary skill set, but they can still be a part of our learning community. This is a lesson I learned from Bill Fry, a veteran math teacher at Boyne City High School, who always made me feel welcome in the room even while I was actively failing his class. Thanks, Bill. I hear you now. I am helping Noah and Maddie with their math at the point I started to fail (work inhibition).

5). We haven’t done THIS before. . .

As we watch the final edit of this promo, we don’t see a single face on the bus that seems to communicate, “We did this last year. . .” or “Everytime I get on this bus some rapper comes on board and disrupts the whole ride.” Are we still doing the same things that we did last year. All of the same things we did last year? In the ELA classroom, are we acknowledging that over 5000 titles were released for young adult readers in the past year?

6). Let’s get it started in here. . .

Sometimes, it gets a little chaotic in the room. Learning can get loud. How will we ever soung our “barbaric yawp” from the insulation of our own reservations. Friends, you don’t need to throw around paper towels. Sometimes–as we learned this week in Room 407–all you need is some spaghetti noodles, some string, some masking tape. . .and a marshmallow.

7). It’s about right here. . .right now. . .this is you . . .this is me. . .this is we. 

Here’s the moment. Played out in two minutes. 45 minutes. 75 minutes. And when the bell rings, that WAS the moment. What happened? Can anybody communicate it with a sense of excitement. . .satisfaction. . .okay. . .purpose?

8). Sometimes, you miss the bus. 

For me, it’s the girl at the bus stop who immediately recognizes Macklemore and Lewis as they get off from the bus where they had just performed. Oh. . .had she just gotten on the bus a few stops up the street. What was missed here? Will she seek out this bus next time? Will she see any bus ride from here on out as an opportunity to experience something new.

9). Fun is a three letter word. . .

A bus ride for our students is his or her first experience in the extended school day. I truly believe this. But each of our learning communities becomes a self-contained transport with seats.  . .and rows. . .are we open to taking our hands off the wheel to clap along with the beat of our different marchers (thanks, Debbie Silver).

10). Macklemore. . .the man. . .the myth. . .the mentor. . .

Language and content considered–I don’t know much about Macklemore beyond what I have heard in radio edits. I understand he can be a little “salty.” Alright. . .okay. . .alright. . .okay. But, if we can look to the culture some times to say something about being in a moment, I think our lessons take on a certain hip quality. . .a freshness.