The First Days of School

In this first unit of The First Days of School, Harry Wong presents three characteristics of an effective teacher. The three characteristics are: has good classroom management skills, teaches for mastery, and has positive expectations for student success.
The effective teacher exhibits positive expectations for all students. Having positive expectations simply means that the teacher believes in the student and that the student can learn. Students will live up to the expectations you set, and to be effective- your expectations should be positive for all students. The effective teacher establishes good classroom management techniques. Classroom Management is practices and procedures that a teacher uses to maintain an environment in which instruction and learning can occur. Effective teachers manage, ineffective teachers discipline; this book guides you in practicing procedures with your students. The effective teacher designs lessons for student mastery. Mastery simply means a student's demonstration that a concept or skill can be performed at a level of proficiency determined by the teacher. Student success in the subject matter of the class will be the result of how well the teacher designs lessons and checks for mastery. You must know how to get students to do their assignments, pass their tests, and work cooperatively. Wong states that what you do on the first few days of school can determine your success for the rest of the year.
Some of the other key ideas that stayed with me from this reading are that new teachers should associate with and learn from positive mentors and avoid teachers that make negative comments, complain and make excuses. It is important to find a mentor who is supportive. Being the new kid on the block it is imperative to work in a collegial manner with all your colleagues. I like the "beg, borrow, and steal!" concept because as new teachers there is no way to walk into a classroom fully equipped—therefore if you see a teacher doing something you resonate with steal it. In my personal opinion there are no original ideas in the universe—just original ways to implement an idea. Some of the networking tools that Wong discusses are joining a professional organization and/or subscribing to a professional publication, or joining a listserv on the Internet. I agree with Wong when he says that new teachers should do their job with the same enthusiasm that they would expect from their students.
The one area where I would take issue with Mr. Wong is that learning should not be fun. I strongly disagree. The most powerful learning experiences of my childhood, and indeed my adult life, were captured and retained through the spirit of fun. I believe that there is a way to make learning fun and compel student's to want to learn. My heart breaks when I read lines like, "You go to school to work, study and produce." There is nothing compelling for student or teacher in that statement. School can be a place of wonder, amazement, delight, escape and yes—even fun! I agree that study and learning are the goals, it is the pathway to achieving those goals that I will diverge from Mr. Wong.
I believe that a teacher's expectations of their students will greatly influence their achievement in the classroom and in their lives. Teachers must treat students as though they already are what they can be, and help them to become what they will be.
On the first days of school, as a teacher, we make an impression upon your students. By establishing good control in the first week of school, by doing things right, consistently, and by affecting and touching lives we can be effective teachers.