Jim Wandsnider grew up in Harrison, Ohio, and attended Harrison High School. Wandsnider enjoyed wrestling, and working with his hands throughout his younger years back in Harrison. Wandsnider has lived and enjoys traveling throughout the country nowadays as well as exploring the history of our nation. Wandsnider never would have thought how his career path would have turned out for him in the coming future.
Back in high school, Jim Wandsnider never imagined he’d become a teacher. Wandsnider even stated, “No one ever in my life you would look and ask and say, “Jim Wandsnider is gonna be a teacher.” Wandsnider, fresh out of Harrison High School in 1997, pursued academics and wrestling at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, but soon found himself drawn back home unsure of his next move as it appeared being so far away from home was not for him. It wasn’t until a pivotal conversation with his high school wrestling coach that his path became clear. “Jimmy,” his coach told him, “ if I see you on the street 10 years from now and you do not have a college degree, I will turn and walk away.” Those words, hard-hitting, yet impactful, stayed with him and set him on his journey to not only earn the degree that was promised but also inspire others in the classroom. That moment gave him the jumpstart he needed for his education journey. He eventually earned his bachelor’s degree at Mount St. Joseph University and completed his master’s degree at Xavier University soon after.
For Wandsnider, teaching is not about following a rulebook but building relationships. His classroom approach focuses on being authentic and relatable to his students, qualities he admired in the teachers and coaches who influenced him. “I’m just a guy trying to help some kids out,” Wandsnider says with a humble smile, believing that real connections with students matter more than test scores. His philosophy is that if his students believe that “This guy’s a real dude. Then maybe at the end of the day, I can teach him something, hopefully.” This ability to have a genuine connection with his students has paid dividends in his career as a teacher.
Wandsnider has taught at three different high schools—including one in North Carolina and Colerain High School—Wandsnider is now part of Oak Hills High School’s community. He values the bonds he’s built with students, noting how essential these connections are for their growth. To Wandsnider, success isn’t measured by grades but by whether a student still recognizes him years later in the grocery store or sends an email after graduation displaying their successes.
As much as he loves teaching, Wandsnider is equally passionate about hands-on work as he teaches construction at Oak Hills. Wandsnider states that if he weren’t in the classroom, he imagines himself working on a construction site, with “calloused hands and a hard hat.” Wandsnider stated, “I love, you know, working with my hands, and building stuff.” Even now, he appreciates the physicality and satisfaction of building something from the ground up and making it his own.
Outside of class, Wandsnider encourages school spirit through community involvement although he wishes there was more enthusiasm from students in some aspects. He really enjoys the Oak Hills Veteran Assembly, and he believes that by being more engaged in school and community spirit himself, he can foster stronger connections with the community, and encourage others to do the same.
Wandsnider’s story is one of unprecedented turns and what good mentorship can do for a person. It is a testament to the great influence of amazing teachers and coaches. Wandsnider continues to pay it forward as he has donated projects to the community as well as continuing to coach wrestling at his Alma Mater Harrison High School. Wandsnider takes pride in teaching not only academic lessons but life lessons, just as his wrestling coaches and teachers have done for him as he was growing up.
