Featured Essay: How a Punk Compilation Album Changed the Way I Teach 

by Sam Logan

“Teaching is punk rock.”—Athena of The Dread

Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970) describes critical pedagogy—an approach to education that fosters critical thinking, active participation in a democratic society, and promotes the co-creation of knowledge through breaking down the traditional roles of teachers as “experts” and students as “learners”. Punk pedagogy is an extension of critical pedagogy, perhaps most notably through integrating a do-it-yourself (DIY) ethos into teaching practices.

It’s a bit tricky to nail down exactly when punk pedagogy emerged as its own and distinct approach to education. However, to me, the most important artifact that bridges critical and punk pedagogies is the vinyl record Critical Pedagogy: A Compilation of Teachers in Punk Bands (2000). This record was put together by Athena Kautsch and released on Six Weeks Records. The liner notes include short essays by band members featured on the album about how punk influences their role as educators. 

Punk pedagogy is hard to define, much like punk itself. Rather than define it, I provide a few quotes (bolded) throughout this essay from the punks who contributed to the liner notes that I feel embody the spirit of punk pedagogy. 

“Punk should be about bringing equity and justice to our communities, our country, and ultimately our world.”—Chris of Count Down to Putsch

But how did I discover punk pedagogy? 

I’m a university professor and the sudden onset of COVID-19 in March 2020 had a major impact on my job. Beyond the pay cut (which was eventually restored), we were also told to revamp our courses from in-person to remote (i.e, Zoom) delivery with about two weeks of notice before classes started for Spring term. It was…a lot. I was lucky to have job stability all through the pandemic, and I recognize the privilege that comes along with that fact. But the burn out was still real. 

My area is exercise science and human movement, but I’ve also developed and taught seminar courses within the Honors College at my university. These courses are open to students enrolled in the Honors college of any year and any major. Prior to COVID-19, I had taught a course titled Toy-Based Technology for Children with Disabilities. Students learned the science about why mobility (i.e., moving around the environment) is important for young children’s health and development. Then, students modified off-the-shelf, battery-operated ride-on toy cars for young children with physical disabilities to use for exploration and play. The toy cars were modified in two ways. First, the foot pedal was removed, and an easy-to-press activation switch was installed and placed on the steering wheel. Second, low-cost materials such as pool noodles, Velcro, and PVC pipe were used to build customized seating support. Both modifications were tailored to individual children as they received a toy car through the Go Baby Go Oregon program. 

This course was a blast to teach. Or at least, it was before COVID-19. When I had to switch to remote delivery, students could no longer modify toy cars. I mailed electronic circuit board kits for students to tinker with at home, but it just wasn’t the same. The course had lost its luster. 

My university was still fully remote in Fall of 2021 when our daughter was born. This brought along its own highs and lows, especially while still in the throes of COVID-19. During my paternity leave, I had a little space to think about a question that would change my teaching trajectory forever. If I could develop and teach a new course, what would it be? 

Punk. Definitely punk. 

“Schools aren’t necessarily easy places to fit into as adults, but we independent and even radical peoples must reclaim the right to influence young people.”—Dave Dictor of M.D.C.

Born in 1984, I didn’t grow up on the first wave of punk apart from Blondie that I discovered from crate digging through my Dad’s vinyl. My real entry to punk came through Green Day’s 1994 album, Dookie. At 16 years-old, my first concert was Green Day on June 23rd, 2001 at a medium-sized outdoor venue. Up toward the front and in the pit, I loved every minute of it and witnessed Green Day’s classic performance of lighting the drum kit on fire and smashing guitars toward the end of the set. The pop and emo genres of punk stuck with me through the years—Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, and My Chemical Romance to name a few major influences.  

During sleepless nights caring for a newborn, I listened to the No Dogs In Space podcast about the history of punk. I loved the series because it wasn’t strictly a linear narrative of the entire history of punk, but rather a deep dive into ten bands that shaped the scene. Through this series, I discovered my love for well-known punk bands like The Ramones and The Cramps, and lesser-known bands like Suicide and The Screamers. 

Punk spoke to me—its rawness, vulnerability, and noisy sonic waves that vibrated my ear drums. But most of all, I identified with the DIY ethos of punk. I reflected on how my work with Go Baby Go and modifying toy cars for young children with disabilities aligned with the punk ideals of DIY, social justice, and resisting normativity. 

But, what authority did I have to teach a course about punk? 

None, really. I wasn’t some punk nerd with stacks and stacks of records I’d been collecting over the years. My grandmother sang like an angel, and my dad could figure out just about any string instrument he picked up—guitar, mandolin, banjo. I could do neither. I don’t have a story about starting a band in high school and winning the talent show. 

However, I had a lifetime of experience as both student and teacher and knew I wanted to approach a punk course through a different lens—one that puts students first in a non-traditional way. I also had a DIY mindset and a willingness to take a risk and try something new. 

Besides, punk isn’t about expertise, right? 

“My hope as an educator is to also allow my students to feel empowered, aware, and able to make decisions which will allow them to make a positive impact on the people whose lives they come in contact with, directly or indirectly.”—Eddie Rivas of Leopold

I searched Google for “punk” and “university course” to see what else had been done in this space. I immediately came across a few textbooks and articles about punk pedagogy—the practice of teaching in a way that embodied a punk ethos. The proverbial light bulb went off above my head. I wanted to teach a punk class in a punk way. So, what would that look like? 

I thought the process for developing a course about punk would be straightforward, but then I came across the vinyl record Critical Pedagogy: A Compilation of Teachers in Punk Bands. This sent me down a rabbit hole of learning about critical and punk pedagogies that changed how I approached teaching in the university classroom. I said earlier I wouldn’t define punk pedagogy, and I stand by it. But I will share the principles of punk pedagogy that coalesced for me as I learned about it in preparation for teaching the punk course. These principles included: (1) do-it-yourself ethos, (2) anti-hierarchical structure, (3) co-creation of knowledge, (4) inclusive and accessible, (5) diverse representation

“Everyone controls their own education, and you take from an education what you put into it. That is a punk idea to me, creating your own intellect and values by being aware and educated of the alternatives but insisting on the radical with good reason.”—Jay F. of Abstain 

When I taught Punk 101, I tried to embody these principles in terms of course content and my role as educator which I viewed as a facilitator rather than an instructor. There were no lectures. I wore jeans and a band t-shirt. I made it clear to students on the first day of class that I was not an expert on punk, and we were going to learn from each other throughout the course. I made a playlist on Spotify, and we listened to about 30 songs each week. I made sure to include bands from diverse backgrounds, bands like Death, Bikini Kill, X-Ray Spex, Los Crudos, Spit Boy. In class, we talked about what songs students liked and didn’t like, the cultural context of when the bands were active and songs were released, and watched videos of live performances. Some of the class was dedicated to open creative time where students could work on their final projects—designing and printing a zine on any topic of their choice. Zines are DIY, low-cost pamphlets for distribution and have a storied history in science fiction, punk, and activism.

The course was a success. I documented students’ experiences through interviews and published the work in a peer-reviewed journal, Research in Education. It’s behind a paywall but shoot me an email and I’ll send it to you. 

Punk pedagogy isn’t just for teaching a course about punk. I realized throughout this experience that my Toy-Based Technology for Children with Disabilities course had several punk pedagogy principles embedded within it. I’ve continued to infuse punk into other courses I’ve developed including Body Horror and Swifties Unite. Discovering the vinyl record Critical Pedagogy: A Compilation of Teachers in Punk Bands was a breath of fresh air—a sharp contrast to the stale and stuffy environment of higher education. Whether you’re a punk or an educator, or just curious to read the essays for yourself, a physical copy of this vinyl is worth tracking down for your collection. 

“Teaching is personal growth, the same way learning is.”—Andrea of Jilted

Bio: Sam Logan (he/him) emerged in 1984 from the depths of the Chesapeake Bay off the Maryland shore. He made it to Oregon where he is a university professor in kinesiology and teaches courses about punk and body horror. Sam lives with his partner, kiddo, and Dune the dog. He has stories in Mouthfeel Fiction, Punk Noir Magazine, Divinations Magazine, Major 7th Magazine, Underbelly Press, and Wallstrait, among others. He is a co-founding editor of SLUGGER. Find him at samloganwrites.com & https://sluggerfiction.com/