Well, here’s one way to spur student engagement: A group of teachers at Jennings High School in St. Louis has produced a rap music video to get their charges motivated for state-mandated end-of-course exams. According to St. Louis Today, the teachers wanted to do something out of the ordinary to convey the importance of the tests to their students. “The hope is that when students get a test placed in front of them, they realize, there’s been a big to-do about this. This is a big deal,” said one teacher.
The video has certainly succeeded in making an impression: Students at Jennings have reportedly been heard echoing the lyrics (apparently based on a song by rapper Ace Hood), and one even called the production “tight.” As of this writing, the YouTube clip has been viewed nearly 6,800 times.