Summary WEEK ONE of pages 61-76, Wong "The First Days of School."
The importance of these pages is "How to invite students to learn?" Wong states that teachers can invite them by having the following techniques: verbal comments, personal behaviors that are inviting, an inviting physical environment, and inviting thoughts (Wong 62). For example, teachers, can say phrases like "Good Morning" and "I appreciate your help" (Wong 62). The personal behaviors from teachers that make a difference for students is "listening, thumbs up or high five, [and] holding a door open" also by having "fresh paint, living plants, clean walls, [and] comfortable furniture" (Wong 62). Teachers must also have "inviting thoughts" about themselves by stating positive statements like "I could learn to do that" instead of "I never could do that" (Wong 62). It is "attentiveness, expectancy, attitude, enthusiasm, and evaluation [that] are the primary forces behind teachers’ being inviting or dis-inviting (Wong 63). Wong expresses that it is important how people treat other people; especially how we treat the people we work with and the students we influence everyday (Wong 64). There are four levels of invitations that "determine your effectiveness as a teacher" (Wong 65). Those levels include "intentionally dis-inviting unintentionally dis inviting unintentionally inviting, and intentionally inviting" (Wong 66). It is not only how teachers create inviting atmospheres that helps in students having a positive education but makes the difference between a good and great teacher. There are five significant concepts that will create "effective teaching" and it all comes down to "teacher-student relationships" (Wong 68). These five concepts consist of "Name, Please, Thank you, Smile, and Love" (Wong 68). When a teacher uses the students name, it tells the student that you have "dignity and respect" for them and it’s important that the teacher "pronounce the student's name correctly” (Wong 69). This tells the student that you care and that you recognize their important to you. The second concept is to say "please" (Wong 70). This simple word tells the students that it is not appropriate to "bark orders" at others and that "courtesy and respect convey a message that says, 'I am paying attention to you" (Wong 70). The students will respond better because the use of word "please" is an "acknowledgement of that kindness" that says "I respect you and your kindness and your worth as a human being" (Wong 71). The smallest gesture a human can give to another human as the "smile" and this smile tells others "you feel good about yourself and want others to feel good about themselves, too" (Wong 72). It’s this smile that will influence the classroom to have "understanding, peace and harmony" because of a simple gesture (Wong 73). A good example of an effective please, thank you and a smile is the following phrase "Nathan, please stop talking to Joey and get to work on your assignment. Thank you, Nathan. (Slight smile) (Wong 74). An effective teacher looks for ways to implement these concepts in the classroom and in the end the teacher can only be effective by finding ways to be "caring, warm, and lovable people" (Wong 74). It is effective teachers who incorporate these measures daily and look for ways of demonstrating them not just saying them.
Summary of pages 93-99, Wong "The First Days of School."
Every first year teacher asks themselves what is needed "to have [their] classroom ready" (Wong 93). According to the Wong's, it is important to not "move a single desk" until reviewing some "truisms" (Wong 93). One of the truisms is that a first year teacher should "spend [their] time on classroom management of student procedures rather than making [their] classroom look like a showcase" (Wong 93). It is important to "count the number of desks and chairs needed" (Wong 93). It is important to have the "rows facing the teacher. This minimizes distractions, [allowing one] to monitor behavior more readily" (Wong 94). A first year teacher needs to focus on making sure the work area the students will be utilizing needs to have "traffic areas clear", "clear access to storage areas, bookcases, cabinets, and doors" and "provide space for their binders, backpacks, books, lunch bags, umbrellas, shoes, show-and-tell items, lost-and-found items, skateboards, and projects" (Wong 95). This gives the type of learning environment that can be productive, fun and least distractive for students. An effective wall space includes bulletin boards that are used to "display student work", "classroom rules" and "large example of the proper heading" (Wong 96). The best wall spaces in a classroom promote classes "where students are self-disciplined, self-motivated, and self-responsible learners" (Wong 96). Lastly, in the room, the bookcases need to be where they do not "obstruct any lines of vision" and it’s important to "rotate materials on the shelves" (Wong 96). It is important to also not "place books or other loose materials near an exit where they can easily disappear," this also tells the student where the books belong (Wong 96). The most important area of the classroom is the teacher’s desk. This area can make all the difference. It’s important to "maximize your proximity to minimize your problems" (Wong 97). The teacher’s desk should not "create a barrier between yourself and your students" and the teacher should be able to "easily monitor the classroom" (Wong 97). It is great to have the desk all in a row, the walls all ready for student work and the teacher’s desk in the right place but if the materials used in class are not able to create a learning environment than it’s all useless. The basic materials such as "glue, chalk, felt pens, stapler" and "organize containers for your materials" are what makes a classroom organized or chaotic (Wong 98). A teacher must have these in place as well as organizing "masters, lesson plans, and computer disks" so that all work is easy to find and ready for use (Wong 98). The last but most important lesson of this section is that a teacher must prepare themselves by "obtain[ing] a teachers manual," any "supply forms that are used for daily school routines" and make sure that they are "teachers who are ready [to] maximize student learning and minimize student misbehavior" (Wong 99).
Work Cited
Wong, Harry K. and Rosemary T. Wong. How to be an effective teacher: The First Days of School." Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc: Mountain View, CA, 2004. Print.
The importance of these pages is "How to invite students to learn?" Wong states that teachers can invite them by having the following techniques: verbal comments, personal behaviors that are inviting, an inviting physical environment, and inviting thoughts (Wong 62). For example, teachers, can say phrases like "Good Morning" and "I appreciate your help" (Wong 62). The personal behaviors from teachers that make a difference for students is "listening, thumbs up or high five, [and] holding a door open" also by having "fresh paint, living plants, clean walls, [and] comfortable furniture" (Wong 62). Teachers must also have "inviting thoughts" about themselves by stating positive statements like "I could learn to do that" instead of "I never could do that" (Wong 62). It is "attentiveness, expectancy, attitude, enthusiasm, and evaluation [that] are the primary forces behind teachers’ being inviting or dis-inviting (Wong 63). Wong expresses that it is important how people treat other people; especially how we treat the people we work with and the students we influence everyday (Wong 64). There are four levels of invitations that "determine your effectiveness as a teacher" (Wong 65). Those levels include "intentionally dis-inviting unintentionally dis inviting unintentionally inviting, and intentionally inviting" (Wong 66). It is not only how teachers create inviting atmospheres that helps in students having a positive education but makes the difference between a good and great teacher. There are five significant concepts that will create "effective teaching" and it all comes down to "teacher-student relationships" (Wong 68). These five concepts consist of "Name, Please, Thank you, Smile, and Love" (Wong 68). When a teacher uses the students name, it tells the student that you have "dignity and respect" for them and it’s important that the teacher "pronounce the student's name correctly” (Wong 69). This tells the student that you care and that you recognize their important to you. The second concept is to say "please" (Wong 70). This simple word tells the students that it is not appropriate to "bark orders" at others and that "courtesy and respect convey a message that says, 'I am paying attention to you" (Wong 70). The students will respond better because the use of word "please" is an "acknowledgement of that kindness" that says "I respect you and your kindness and your worth as a human being" (Wong 71). The smallest gesture a human can give to another human as the "smile" and this smile tells others "you feel good about yourself and want others to feel good about themselves, too" (Wong 72). It’s this smile that will influence the classroom to have "understanding, peace and harmony" because of a simple gesture (Wong 73). A good example of an effective please, thank you and a smile is the following phrase "Nathan, please stop talking to Joey and get to work on your assignment. Thank you, Nathan. (Slight smile) (Wong 74). An effective teacher looks for ways to implement these concepts in the classroom and in the end the teacher can only be effective by finding ways to be "caring, warm, and lovable people" (Wong 74). It is effective teachers who incorporate these measures daily and look for ways of demonstrating them not just saying them.
Summary of pages 93-99, Wong "The First Days of School."
Every first year teacher asks themselves what is needed "to have [their] classroom ready" (Wong 93). According to the Wong's, it is important to not "move a single desk" until reviewing some "truisms" (Wong 93). One of the truisms is that a first year teacher should "spend [their] time on classroom management of student procedures rather than making [their] classroom look like a showcase" (Wong 93). It is important to "count the number of desks and chairs needed" (Wong 93). It is important to have the "rows facing the teacher. This minimizes distractions, [allowing one] to monitor behavior more readily" (Wong 94). A first year teacher needs to focus on making sure the work area the students will be utilizing needs to have "traffic areas clear", "clear access to storage areas, bookcases, cabinets, and doors" and "provide space for their binders, backpacks, books, lunch bags, umbrellas, shoes, show-and-tell items, lost-and-found items, skateboards, and projects" (Wong 95). This gives the type of learning environment that can be productive, fun and least distractive for students. An effective wall space includes bulletin boards that are used to "display student work", "classroom rules" and "large example of the proper heading" (Wong 96). The best wall spaces in a classroom promote classes "where students are self-disciplined, self-motivated, and self-responsible learners" (Wong 96). Lastly, in the room, the bookcases need to be where they do not "obstruct any lines of vision" and it’s important to "rotate materials on the shelves" (Wong 96). It is important to also not "place books or other loose materials near an exit where they can easily disappear," this also tells the student where the books belong (Wong 96). The most important area of the classroom is the teacher’s desk. This area can make all the difference. It’s important to "maximize your proximity to minimize your problems" (Wong 97). The teacher’s desk should not "create a barrier between yourself and your students" and the teacher should be able to "easily monitor the classroom" (Wong 97). It is great to have the desk all in a row, the walls all ready for student work and the teacher’s desk in the right place but if the materials used in class are not able to create a learning environment than it’s all useless. The basic materials such as "glue, chalk, felt pens, stapler" and "organize containers for your materials" are what makes a classroom organized or chaotic (Wong 98). A teacher must have these in place as well as organizing "masters, lesson plans, and computer disks" so that all work is easy to find and ready for use (Wong 98). The last but most important lesson of this section is that a teacher must prepare themselves by "obtain[ing] a teachers manual," any "supply forms that are used for daily school routines" and make sure that they are "teachers who are ready [to] maximize student learning and minimize student misbehavior" (Wong 99).
Work Cited
Wong, Harry K. and Rosemary T. Wong. How to be an effective teacher: The First Days of School." Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc: Mountain View, CA, 2004. Print.