“Do you know who we are? We’re the educators, the real-life superstars”: Remixing hip-hop pedagogy with an affinity group

Abstract

In this article, we present findings from a study undertaken with nine teachers working in diverse mainstream and alternative schooling contexts in Queensland, Australia, who participated in a year-long affinity group to understand the ways in which hip-hop pedagogy could support their pedagogical practice, professional identity, and well-being. Hip-hop pedagogy centers on a participatory ethic of collaboration and shared expression, which is also central to the affinity group method. The remixing of hip-hop pedagogy through the affinity group enabled teachers to (a) express vulnerability as an educator, (b) maintain safe spaces for learning and teaching, (c) share stories of practice, and (d) confront a lack of recognition that permeates schooling in this present moment. We contend that engaging in an affinity group provides creative opportunities for collective teacher professional and personal development, alongside the rich potential for affective engagement through hip-hop pedagogy as a praxis-based pedagogy.