Hanging In: Strategies for Teaching the Students Who Challenge Us Most

by Jeffrey Benson

Many students arrive at school with unique mixtures of family histories, traumatic experiences, and special needs that test our skills and try our patience. In Hanging Strategies for Teaching the Students Who Challenge Us Most , veteran educator Jeffrey Benson shows educators the value of tenacity and building connections in teaching the students who most need our help. This essential guide includes
* Detailed portraits based on real-life students whose serious challenges inhibited their classroom experience—and how they eventually achieved success;

* Strategies for how to analyze students' challenges and develop individualized plans to help them discover a sense of comfort with learning—with in-depth examples of plans in action;

* Recommendations for teachers and support team on how to gain skills and support and not lose hope through the ups and downs of the work; and

* Specific advice for administrators on constructing systems and procedures that give all our students the best chance for success.
Just as teaching the students who challenge us is among our most frustrating experiences as educators, sticking with students until they finally "get it" is among our most rewarding. In Hanging In, you'll find the inspiration and field-tested ideas necessary to create a patient and supportive environment for even the most demanding cases in the classroom.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Professional Development, Nonfiction, School

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2014

Reviews

[Jessica]

This book is an absolutely must-read for any educator that works with students with challenging behaviors. The examples are all for older students, but as an elementary educator, I still feel I benefited tremendously from reading this book.

[Rachel Bistricer]

Every summer, I try to read at least one professional development book to help further my knowledge in my career. This book focused on encountering different types of students and provided scenarios for each student presented in each chapter. Like every case study book, it gives you a simple synopsis with some suggestions with how to approach each situation. I always try to learn at least one new tidbit in each book, and this one was filled with many thought provoking ideas.

[Amber Kirbey]

I found this book to be very helpful in coming up with strategies to help my struggling students. I began implementing several of these strategies right away and plan on referencing this book in the future. I will say this school seems to be very unique and that some of the things discussed in this book would not be possible in a traditional public school.

[Lori]

Jeffrey Benson has walked the talk and allows us to benefit from his experiences, heartaches, and victories. He has high expectations, exquisite respectfulness, and a passionate determination to reach the students who exasperate us most. It's filled with practical tips for all the adults who want to help challenging students succeed.

[Alex]

This is a great read on what it truly takes to sustain our work with challenging students. I had a couple of small issues, and a chapter about a transgender student had some odd language, but overall I would recommend this as a quick and meaningful read. I especially recommend to those at alternative schools, who will recognize their students and their settings in these pages.

[Adam Gutschenritter]

Good stories and advice to keep in mind for a variety of students who drive you nuts. Hanging in with them seems a skill and a talent that will take time, effort and a team to succeed at. I will be keeping this around as a reference when I need ideas to deal with the "worst".

[Allison]

Thoughtful, relatable book to improve and reflect on your skills if you work in education or with challenging teenagers. I’d recommend.

[Thomas]

some useful strategies--more interesting are the stories about each student

[Whitney]

This book was easy to read, well-organized, and relevant for educators. Each chapter focuses on a different student/challenging behavior and provides both specific strategies and anecdotes for how the strategies worked for the students. I was able to consider how I could incorporate the different strategies in my classroom and with my PLC. My only criticism would be for more inclusion of narrative for when the strategies didn't work--only one chapter included this, and it made for a little more idealized picture of his classroom and school than reality allows.

[Laura Steele]

Excellent, practical book for hanging in with challenging students. I teach middle school and will definitely be using some of the strategies and suggestions from this book with the students that I see. Easy read.

[Tracey]

This book is full of examples of challenging students who need alternative approaches to help them succeed in school. Since our school is working on Trauma Informed Care approaches, I found this book very useful.

[Nancy Loy]

A very useful book! Just started and hope to have more tools in my kit by the time I finish!

[Mills College Library]

371.9 B4746 2014

[Laura Kump]

Great read! Every teacher and administrator should spend the time.