by Joseph Mathews (Author)
Take a deeper look into Joseph's life as a disengaged student and examine the intersectionality of how and why cultural misunderstandings and well-meaning but misguided approaches contributed to his low performance and disengagement. Each chapter lays out an experience that every educator will encounter during their career. Starting out in first grade and going through to Joseph's senior year, the challenges that he and his peers had in school are examined. Each chapter also explores alternative and simple approaches that Joseph feels teachers could have taken to better engage him. Take the journey through Joseph's elementary, middle, and high school years and see how his teachers hurt him, healed him, and helped him to find his place in the world.
Author Biography
Joseph Mathews is a nationally known speaker, best known for his "Edutainment" approach to education. As an artist and expert in student and family engagement, Joseph has performed for students all over the country and conducted countless professional developments for teachers centered around student and family engagement. Joseph is the author of four other books: The Dropout, Wrestling for My Life, Me and My Homies, and Why Do Boys Make Girls Cry? These books are used in schools and classrooms around the country to help foster students motivation to learn, to teach life skills and leadership development, encourage and making better and smarter choices. Joseph has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Langston University, a Master of Arts in Family and Community Education from Columbia University Teachers College and is currently pursuing his Doctoral degree in Urban Education with a concentration in Student, Family and Community Engagement at Columbia University Teachers College.