Hope 4 The Wounded Educational Seminars, LLC

Joe, in partnership with Eye On Education, has published his first book, "Reaching the Wounded Student", available now through www.eyeoneducation.com.   The following is a review received on the book:

‘Reaching the Wounded Student’

• How do your teachers deal with students who are beyond the ‘at-risk’ stage?  Joe points out the need for teachers to understand the importance for teachers to learn how to deal with wounded students in a way that deescalates problem interactions.  How often have we seen situations where the personality differences of the teacher and the student were destined for trouble?  Joe reinforces the importance of having staff that are able to effectively handle students who present challenges because of the wounds they have gathered in their lives.
• Does your school understand there is a distinction between an ‘at-risk’ and a ‘wounded’ student?  Many schools will talk about how they handle the typical ‘at-risk’ student.  But do they realize that dealing with ‘wounded’ students often requires different skills and approaches?  Joe helps the reader understand the importance of making this distinction.
• What is your school’s approach to dealing with ‘wounded’ students?  Traditional approaches to dealing with wounded students are usually ineffective for a variety of reasons.  Joe explains the reason traditional approaches don’t work.  He also points out the need for teachers to feel empowered and discusses ways in which they can become the expert the students need.
• Do you need encouragement to take the next step with wounded students?  Joe provides the reader with encouragement throughout the entire book.  Teachers and administrators will feel compelled to put programs into place and to begin establishing relationships with the most challenging students in order to bring hope for the students and staff alike.
• Do you realize you have the power to provide hope for a wounded student?  Throughout the book, Joe provides compelling reasons why it is important for teachers and administrators to develop relationships with wounded students.  More importantly, he provides clear explanations about how teachers can provide hope for these students.  The need for wounded students to have hope is one of the most compelling reasons for teachers to read this book. 

‘Reaching the Wounded Student’ is full of insights, statistics, examples, and commentary about wounded students, and the need for schools to take action.  This book goes beyond telling the reader how to set up programs for wounded students; it provides compelling reasons and encouragement for the reader to take a serious look at how they are dealing with their most challenging students.  The reader will feel a sense of empowerment to take action because they will have increased their depth of knowledge in an important topic affecting all schools.

~ Mr. Chuck Benway, AP Chemistry/Physics/Advanced Chemistry Teacher

I recently completed reading Joe Hendershott's book REACHING THE WOUNDED STUDENT. Hendershott offers tremendous insight into the field of education. His experience in working with students is proven. He provides real scenarios from his personal experiences in education that encourages others to learn and try new techniques.

For me, the book has a way of reminding me why I chose the field of education and reignited some of those early ideas in teaching high school students. He encouraged me to make adjustments to my philosophy on education and truly focus on the needs of the students.

Currently, I teach in a high school of about 2000 students in an urban setting. His clarification of "wounded students" to "at risk students" puts a different light on strategies that are needed in schools. Hendershott motivates you to create new strategies and implement them and to encourage others to become involved. He believes that everyone can make differences. In his examples, some of them are school wide changes but many are also simple strategies that any educator could use in his/her classroom. For example, he stresses the importance of not allowing an ego and control to interfere in the education process. These are easy strategies to implement as it becomes part of the culture or environment.