fresh_professor

These are just some of my fave photos my brother. Every time we hang, we laugh and smile and he brings joy and coolness everywhere he goes. The best uncle, brother, husband, friend, and co-conspirator in the muthaf*in world!!!

Happy Birthday to my A1

and I kick it in the woods and we kick it in the classroom, and we wanna kick it again at next year’s conference. We have proposed a session called “The Transformative Power of Hip Hop Pedagogy” where we examine legislation affecting meaningful work around inclusion & belonging, as we pursue the radical promise of hip hop’s pedagogical potential. Vote for our session now!

Been a minute since I’ve seen these cats but every time I do, it’s like no time has passed. Known each other since high school, about 35 years of friendship. Love these brothas and hope to see the ones I didn’t see on this trip, at the next trip. Didn’t get a photo with Fingers, Stance, and Rich. Catch you next time Feet Dog, Berto, Goggles, and Roger!!

Studies show that having a close circle of friends is good for your health (even when we do sometimes unhealthy things😂). If you gots some dope homies, hit ‘em up now yo!!

Happy Father’s Day!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my A1, best friend from birth, brother, and amazing uncle !! Here are some photos from over the years, where we haven’t aged at all!! Love you, bro!!!

As a hip hop educator working to support the creative econom in Seattle, I’m very much looking forward to this discussion with .a.lot at the Creative Economy Education Summit.

This is going to be so dooope!

Posted • We’re thrilled to welcome Seattle’s own therealsirmixalot to kick off the 2024 BRIC Summit: WA Creative Economy & Education Day on May 6th!

The Fireside Chat Keynote featuring Sir Mix-a-Lot and moderated by James Miles of will set the stage as we move into a day of action-oriented brainstorming centered around improving the employment pathways from K-12 to entry-level roles in Washington State.

🔗 Learn more in our link in bio or at bricfoundation.org/2024-wa-summit

Super excited to speak with my A1 at the conference in April. Talking about my book and education, while shifting narratives. It’s a homecoming for me and I can’t wait!!

Posted • We are thrilled to announce our day one plenary event! Join industry leader and podcast host in conversation with James Miles, The , for this live recording of the .

Learn more about James’ newly released book, “Gotta Stay Fresh: Why We Need Hip-Hop in Schools”, his fresh take on Hip Hop education, and ways to activate the five elements of Hip Hop into arts education work. Register at bit.ly/F2F2024.

Super excited about this chat with to talk about my book Gotta Stay Fresh arts education! February 8th! Link in all the bios

Posted • Registration is open for our first ever Literary Salon series! Building on our listening tour series, TAG is proud to present Literary Salons for Teaching Artists: Unveiling the Art of Publication. Join us for a captivating hour of conversation and exploration into the world of teaching artist publications! This online virtual literary salon, hosted by TAG (Teaching Artists Guild), invites you to explore the process of publication and discover the impactful work of teaching artists across the country. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and celebrate the literary achievements of these amazing folks: .della.anderson Elise May & Eric Booth!

You can register here for the series: https://buff.ly/47Cjb93
If you need financial assistance or accessibility accommodations, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Very excited for this event around hip hop education, hip hop culture, and how it has influenced our lives. Also, I will be reading a portion of my new book, Gotta Stay Fresh!! Get your tickets!! Link in bio.

Posted • 🎤 On Jan 25 at 7:30PM, join us for an electrifying exploration of hip-hop education! 📚 James Miles, the , and a dynamic panel of experts featuring , , , and . 🌟 DJ Topspin will spin beats, and we’ll dive into James’s book, ‘Gotta Stay Fresh.’ Don’t miss this fusion of education, music, and culture! 🔥🎶

My guy was hit by a car in NYC and because of the nature of this accident will need a lot of support on his long road to recovery. Please consider supporting this amazing comedian, friend, and human being. Link in bio.

“It’s been a long time…”

After years of research, practice, and nonstop writing, I’m proud to announce that my book, Gotta Stay Fresh, drops Dec 5th!!

This must-have resource:

Presents the what, why, and how of using hip-hop education in every classroom

Lays out five elements of hip-hop and maps them to instructional approaches and learning objectives, such as synthesizing new information, social emotional learning, cultural and linguistically responsive teaching, and arts education)

Suggests an approach to lesson planning using the structure of a hip-hop song: use cultural references to inspire curiosity; engage students with core content through interactive experiences, exploratory activities, and games; ensure that students comprehend the information and can demonstrate their knowledge; and provide differentiation options.

Early praise for Gotta Stay Fresh:

"Yes! It is past time for the classic American art form of Hip-Hop to come to more classrooms, and James Miles can show you how in this fun and empathetic book.”
-Anya Kamenetz, author The Stolen Year and DIY U

“Gotta Stay Fresh, exemplifies the mindset of growing up in Hip Hop, exhibiting integrity in looking good, sounding good, and having your own style and perspective that’s respected.”
-Vinson “Wordsworth” Johnson, artist, Florida State Middle School teacher, author of Socks and What Words are Worth Vol 1.

“It’s an invaluable book for animating powerful new imaginaries for our future."
-Dr. Heather Ashley Hayes, advanced assistant professor, University of Alabama.

Going through some old stuff with my mom and brother and found these gems: My first couple of acting headshots. The first one was when I tried acting but was still figuring things out. I quit accounting and doing odd jobs. The second one was after I moved to NYC after I found a dead body in the garbage in Chicago (read more about that in “Storytime with Fresh Professor Part 1”). I committed myself to acting full time, got an agent, and started working.

Lot has changed since then, thankfully. What the hell was I thinking with these shots? 😂