An Intelligent Movement in Rap Called #Intellirap

Rap has had a bad rap almost as soon as it began. Let’s start a movement back to intelligent, conscious rap lyrics that speak of actual social, economic, psychological, and political problems; not the stuff that glorifies misogyny, drugs, illegal acts, and violence. There’s a respectful and constructive way to discuss these problems and it’s up to the conscientious rappers and lyricists to show the new generation how artistic and powerful rap and hip-hop can be catalysts for change.

I am actually currently working on a teen and young adult novel tentatively titled: Got the Flow: The Diary of a Young Rapper. It’s about a young man in high school that dreams of becoming a rapper and wants to support his mom, who works three jobs just to make ends meet. He lost his father to gun violence. He slowly begins to realize the power of words and rap thanks to his English teacher Mr. Salas and a serendipitous visit by a prison inmate. He has obstacle after obstacle thrown his way: getting robbed, mean teachers, and truancy problems. I made a rap music video (along with printable lyrics available on the video link below.

Free PDF excerpt here!

Thank you for always reading,

Carlos Salinas

www.carlossalinaswriting.com

#books #yafiction #newbooks #upcomingbooks #indiefiction #indiebooks #indieauthor #carlossalinas #carlossalinasauthor #gottheflow #streetlit #urbanfiction #hiphoplit #hiphopbooks #hiphopfiction #rap #rapmusic #intellirap #consciousrap #conscioushiphop #hip-hop #ebooks #hip-hopbooks #rapbooks #greatreads #bookworm #indiethursday #indieauthors #mustread #novel #whattoread #storytelling #ereaders #kindle #smashwords #mglit #ya #yalit #99c #reading #GottheFlowTheHipHopDiaryofAYoungRapper

 

The Teaching Value of Wikipedia: Why It’s OK for Students to Use it for Research

I know most of you got nervous with that title, but it can help! It’s not the most credible or reliable source but can be a great jump-off point for research because they have an entry for just about anything! Here are some reasons for using Wikipedia in the classroom for research projects. Read more...

Entertaining, Effective, and Engaging English Language Arts Lessons for Students and Teachers

Teaching English Language Arts at any level can be difficult but especially for the middle school level because students are growing up and maturing, starting to date, becoming more and more social online. These original lessons were designed by a teacher for teachers and with students in mind and contain high-level concepts and facts with student-friendly language and formats.
Many of these stories and short stories were written for the reluctant reader; those students that find it hard to find something interesting and engaging to read.  These are considered plot-driven stories where the story is told by quick action, plot development, and meaningful and limited dialogue. The characters in the stories are relatable and appropriate for young people and adults. Students that lose interest quickly or have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit  Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) will be able to better focus and complete these short reading assignments.
Story themes, concepts, and topics include violence, teen romance, gang life and consequences, and other high-interest topics suitable for the urban, at-risk student population. These pieces of short fiction are great for the main focus of a lesson for reading comprehension or as a filler activity when there is extra class time and want to use it wisely.
There’s no better feeling than to watch a student read a great story that they have never read before. Then you are the great teacher that introduced them to that story! These original lessons are usually in Microsoft PowerPoint and Word and so easily customized to your student audience and your teaching style. It is recommended that teacher preview lessons before using them in the classroom. Don’t use what everyone else is using from the textbook; teach your kids in a new, engaging, effective, novel way.

Check out original,engaging English Language Arts lessons at my Teacherspayteachers store!



Also check out my Heroes that Motivate Students Powerpoint Lesson! Also check out my inspirational & motivational eBook "The Little Book of Big Quotes"! Also check out my Students as Lawyers: Criminal Trials Lesson! Also check out my Persuasive Essay Writing Lesson! Also check out my Language Arts Primary Vocabulary Quiz and Key Lesson! Also check out my Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes Speckled Band Short Story PowerPoint Review Game Lesson! Also check out my Letter of Advice to a Character in Literature Lesson! Also check out my Essay/Narrative/Story Mind Map and Outline Prewriting Activity Lesson! Also check out my Student Personal Thesaurus Handout! Also check out my Expository Writing Essay Practice English Lesson! Also check out my Lesson Plan:Poetry, Analysis and Creation Lesson! Also check out my Reading Quiz Summary! Also check out my Brainstorming for a Story, Plot Diagrams Worksheets! Also check out my Bundle of 4 Original Short Stories for Teens w/ Reading Comprehension Questions Lesson!

Books for Kids!

I work with under-privileged, at-risk, and disenfranchised youth; teens who don't have high expectations for themselves or guidance from almost anyone. I will use the money from here to buy more high-interest, age-appropriate books to get them reading! My goal is to stretch the money out as much as I can by buying secondhand and used books. I would love to expand the classroom library as soon as possible to help our students become passionate readers and writers, since reading and writing go hand in hand. I spend much of my own money on books but know that together we can provide a much greater selection of books for these kids. I'll know we were successful when I have students initiating their own reading and ask me to take a book home to read. I truly believe that when kids say they don't like reading it is because they haven't found their type of books. An enthusiastic teacher plus great books equals success for every student! If you can, please donate or share this so more people are aware of this campaign. Thank you kindly!

https://www.gofundme.com/books4at-riskkids

Teachers Pay Teachers' back to school sale one day only August 22, 2016!

Check out my original, engaging lessons on Teachers Pay Teachers' one day 20% sale. Make the start of the year easier on yourself!

#engaging #entertaining #and #effective #lessons for #teachers and students for #subjects like #history #science #languagearts #english #ela #historyteacher #scienceteacher #englishteacher #teaching Check out more #student-centered, #engaging at

Www.Teacherspayteachers.com/store/Carlos-salinas  (link in bio)

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Awesome, original lessons for teachers

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#engaging #entertaining #and #effective #lessons for #teachers and students for #subjects like #history #science #languagearts #english #ela #historyteacher #scienceteacher #englishteacher #teaching Check out more #student-centered, #engaging at

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Engaging, exciting, and effective, original lesson plans

#engaging #entertaining #and #effective #lessons for #teachers and students for #subjects like #history #science #languagearts #english #ela #historyteacher #scienceteacher #englishteacher #teaching Check out more #student-centered, #engaging at

Www.Teacherspayteachers.com/store/Carlos-salinas 

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Entertaining, Effective, and Engaging Texas History Lessons for Students and Teachers

Entertaining, Effective, and Engaging Texas History Lessons for Students and Teachers

Teaching history at any level can be difficult but especially for the middle school level because students are growing up and maturing, starting to date, becoming more and more social online. These lessons were designed by a teacher for teachers and with students in mind.  Contains high-level concepts and facts with student-friendly language and formats.

These lessons are usually in Microsoft PowerPoint and Word and so easily customized to your student audience and your teaching style. It is recommended that teacher preview lessons before using them in the classroom.

Teaching history at any level can be difficult but especially for the middle school level because students are growing up and maturing, starting to date, becoming more and more social online. These lessons were designed by a teacher for teachers and with students in mind.  Contains high-level concepts and facts with student-friendly language and formats.

These lessons are usually in Microsoft PowerPoint and Word and so easily customized to your student audience and your teaching style. It is recommended that teacher preview lessons before using them in the classroom.

Check out my Indian Wars Texas History Lesson!
Check out my Oil Boom in Texas History Lesson!
Check out my Annexation of Texas History Lesson!
Check out my Annexation of Texas History Jeopardy Review Game Lesson!
Also check out my Texas and the Civil War History Powerpoint Lesson!
Also check out my Texas Annexation and Independence History Powerpoint Review Game Lesson! Also check out my Texas Reconstruction History Powerpoint Lesson!
Also check out my Manifest Destiny Texas History Powerpoint Lesson!
Also check out my The Battle of Gonzales Texas History Powerpoint Lesson!
Also check out my Life in a Frontier State Texas History Powerpoint Lesson!

Inspirational video for teachers and students

What if money were no object? How would you spend your time? :D

FREE EBOOKS My Books The Little Book of Big Quotes Vol I and The Poems Volume I!

As a special thank-you for all of your support, I am giving away free eBook copies of both of my books (The Little Book of Big Quotes Vol I and The Poems Volume I) this weekend 6/18/16-6/19/16. It starts tonight at midnight and ends Sunday at midnight. Just click here for my Amazon page for you to download your copy in any format you like.


Thank you for reading and always supporting me, it means more than you know. :)

See you on page one,
Carlos Salinas



#Inspirational. #Motivational. #Insightful. #Truthful. Spanning from #philosophy, #friendship, #love, #life, and #death, this site and its writing present a mind-expanding collection of ideas. Perfect for #teachers, #students, and #coaches!
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Inspirational & Motivational Pictures, Quotes, and Words for Teachers and Students

Keep your head up and spirits higher, you are changing the world one student, one lessons, one day at a time. :)

#teacher #teaching #education #educator #students #iloveteaching #teachingislife #inspiration #motivation #change #changetheworld

A New Novel in Progress about a Positive Young Rapper (perfect for young, reluctant readers!)

This is a smart, thinking, intelligent rap written by book character Troy Jones from the upcoming book Got the Flow: The Diary of a Young Rapper by Carlos Salinas. The book documents the journal entries of 15 yearr old  high school freshman Troy, whose rap name becomes Battle of Troy when his English class reads the Odyssey. He starts off not really knowing what to rap about, he just knows he has something to say and that Rap is his medium of choice. Guided by his English teacher, Mr. Salas, he starts participating in local rap battles when he realizes that he has the potential to change the world with his words. With Mr. Salas' help, he realizes what his voice in rap is. He soon finds that wrong and rapping about losing his father in a gang robbery, wandering through teen years, and ending ignorance serves as therapy on the mic. The power of words slowly reveals to be life changing for Troy and those around him. Excerpts to be published soon! More at Www.carlossalinaswriting.com

Thank you for reading!

"Slim Samurai" Rap (first released track from the book) https://soundcloud.com/user-577080539/slim-samurai-rap-troy-jones-from-book-got-the-flow-the-diary-of-a-young-rapper-by-carlos-salinas

A thinking rap by character Troy Jones from the upcoming book Got The Flow: The Diary Of A Young Rapper by Carlos Salinas. More at www.carlossalinaswriting.com Please share if you liked it and let's start an intelligent movement in RAP (Realizing Actual Problems). Written, produced, and recorded by Carlos Salinas.

Lyrics

I’m a slim samurai comin' straight from the south

That's dope alliteration comin’ straight out my mouth

Cali’s got the weather and they got hills

I’m just a poet... that's flexin’ my skills

Yeah I slay the rhymes, and I kill the hooks

I’m worse than the murderers in horror books

See me flowin’ with the skills of a ninja

Comin straight atcha with the heart of a soulja

Me? I'm just an educated fool 

Not really interested in lookin’ cool

Never been behind bars but I been in school

You gotta use your mind, man, cuz it's the tool

So gimme a clean beat and I will kill it

So gimme a clean sheet and I will fill it

Gimme a 10-second track and you'll start to feel it

These rhymes are my property so don't try to steal it

I can keep it real and I can keep it clean

Cuz life ain't always nice it can be mean

But you gotta stay true and do your thing

Cuz it ain't all about gold and rings

There's more to life than what we see

But it takes an open mind and curiosity

To change the world we gotta change ourselves

It's more than just havin’ books on the shelves

Me? My name is Battle of Troy 

And if you’re looking for rap wisdom then I’m yo boy

Gimme a pen and paper and I’ll make ya think

Open your mind up more than any drug or drink

Oh, yeahhh

My ambitions are simple n

Easy to understand

To make the world better

Is my master plan

How do I plan to do this

You be askin’,

Let’s start by not puttin’ each other in a casket

This is intellirap, somethin’ you never heard

It’s a new, dope mix between a G and a nerd

Since when was being dumb somethin’ cool,

But I’d rather be actin’ right than playin’ a fool

The biggest lie you’ll hear is that it’s good not to know,

But that’s how they keep you from gettin’ the dough

Inspirational motivational picture quotes for teachers

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For those dedicated teachers

Here's to those teachers...

Who honestly try to see the best potential in each of their students.

Who spend their own money on supplies because it's what the STUDENTS NEED.

Who don't take disrespect/threats/violence personally when the student has deep personal/family/emotional/mental issues.

Who can approach an angry/violent/disrespectful student calmly and honestly try to help them while swallowing their pride.

Who stops the negative outside influence and hate at their door to create a positive, peaceful learning environment at least for that class.

Who, while the world criticizes them and their students, still comes in every day as a new, hopeful day.

Who continue to get up earlier than necessary to do their job well - not for the pay, not for the recognition- but because it needs to get done.

I raise my glass of (orange juice) to those teachers. 

#teaching #teachers #changelives #makingadifference #education #coaches #coaching #motivation #inspiration #wisdom #inspirationalquotes #motivationalquotes

A poem to keep things in perspective for teachers

Sometimes we all need a reminder about how tough it can be for a student and what their world looks like outside the classroom. A wonderfully insightful poem by Joshua T. Dickerson.

The Importance of Always Learning and Improving Yourself (Basically, Why We Should Be Like Leonardo da Vinci)

“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”

Astronomy, world languages, psychology, philosophy, history, and countless masterpieces of fiction, we will never run out of things to learn. Perhaps our only regret is that one life is not enough to learn all of the things we wanted to. With an ability to think about abstract things like love, justice, and beauty. Would we ever want to stop learning?


Leonardo da Vinci (biography linked) is probably the best example of this principle. He is known as the ultimate pinnacle of the Renaissance Man (Someone that wanted to know everything about everything). His natural curiosity of the amazing world around him helped him create and design some of the most beautiful and useful creations in the history of mankind. His insatiable thirst for knowledge was unparalleled and is the reason that he is still regarded as the most widely-talented person that ever lived.

"The natural desire of good men is knowledge."

Leonardo da Vinci

Learning About Something is More Learning About Everything

Again, Leonardo da Vinci was probably one of the most-accomplished autodidact in history. Being an illegitimate son prevented him from receiving formal schooling so he did the next best thing: he taught himself. This was perhaps a setback in some ways but it allowed him to take on a new, fresh perspective on established fields of knowledge. Since he had not been biased or limited with previous preconceptions or schools of thought, he was able to let his imagination go wild and we all know what happened next. ;)


When you are learning something, whether it’s violin, to dance, or a new language. You are not just learning that; you are learning about yourself and your capabilities as well. You are learning that you are able to learn new things. This in turn helps your self-esteem, self-image, and most importantly, your self-efficacy. When you learn new things, you feel more confident and this carries over into more aspects of your life. Some might say that one gets more confidence from having been self-taught. Most, if not all, fields of knowledge overlap and have some common ground and will point you in new directions in your learning. While reading a book on astronomy it talks about the chemical elements and that leads you to a book on chemistry, which then leads you to the biographies of scientists that contributed to that field, and so on. I find that textbooks are an excellent place to get started because they often lay down a general, fundamental understanding on the subject with a broad explanation of the major parts. From there, you are free to choose books and resources that delve more in depth into the areas of your specific interest.


We cannot simply be “good at art”; we must apply ourselves, at least give it an honest try, in as many possible fields of study, hobbies, activities, sports, schools of thought, etc., as possible. Perhaps we are “only good” at certain things because we have closed the mental door to the possibility of being good at other things. Especially those things outside of our comfort zone....

Read the rest of article here

Awesome pics for English teachers

#teaching #education #educationalmaterials #lessons #lessonplans #teacher #teachers

Sometimes it's all about #perspective in #teaching and #education.

Sometimes it's all about #perspective in #teaching and #education. Stay aware. Keep teaching. :)

Inspirational quotes and poems Amazon eBook promotion! Free for the next 72 hours as a thank-you!

Thank you for reading and always being here :). I truly hope you enjoy these books and please consider leaving a review if you really liked my work. 

From the #thelittlebookofbigquotes        --Newly launched website carlossalinaswriting.com (link in bio) Creative writing for the mind, spirit, and heart. Share if you like my work just please credit me in any reposts, thanks for reading! (Get my books on Amazon.com or my eBooks on Smashwords.com) :) More at www.goodreads.com/carlossalinas and authorcarlossalinas.tumblr.com

#reading #quotes #writing #wisdom #truth #love #words #poetry #writer #author #motivation #inspiration #goals #philosophy #booklovers #bookworms #bookstagram #books #carlossalinasauthor #carlossalinas

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Inspirational motivational picture quotes of the day

#quote #quotes #famouswords #writer #writing #author #dreams #motivation #inspiration #idealism #success #truth #realtalk #wisdom #philosophy #hope #bookstagram #booklovers #onceuponareading #wordscanchangetheworld 

Inspirational motivational picture quotes of the day

From the #thelittlebookofbigquotes        --Newly launched website carlossalinaswriting.com Creative writing for the mind, spirit, and heart. Share if you like my work just please credit me in any reposts, thanks for reading! (Get my books on Amazon.com or my eBooks on Smashwords.com) :) More at www.goodreads.com/carlossalinas and authorcarlossalinas.tumblr.com

#reading #quotes #writing #wisdom #truth #love #words #poetry #writer #author #motivation #inspiration #goals #philosophy #booklovers #bookworms #bookstagram #books #carlossalinasauthor #carlossalinas

#positivity #idealism #reflection #wordscanchangetheworld #thepenISmightierthanthesword #education #teach #english

Inspirational motivational picture quotes of the day

From the #thelittlebookofbigquotes        --Newly launched website carlossalinaswriting.com Creative writing for the mind, spirit, and heart. Share if you like my work just please credit me in any reposts, thanks for reading! (Get my books on Amazon.com or my eBooks on Smashwords.com) :) More at www.goodreads.com/carlossalinas and authorcarlossalinas.tumblr.com

#reading #quotes #writing #wisdom #truth #love #words #poetry #writer #author #motivation #inspiration #goals #philosophy #booklovers #bookworms #bookstagram #books #carlossalinasauthor #carlossalinas

#positivity #idealism #reflection #wordscanchangetheworld #thepenISmightierthanthesword #education #teach #english