Harry and Rosemary Wong have done an excellent job in their writings on “The First Days of School”. A leading issue in the American education system is the need for effective teachers. Research has shown that the number of first-year teachers entering the profession lacks the essential skills to be effective. School districts across America have gone above and beyond to draw attention to the issue. In Wong’s book, The First Days of School”, Wong addresses the necessary skills that all first-year teachers should possess. Moreover, Wong suggests some proven techniques that will assist the first year teacher in becoming effective. Wong believes there are three common characteristics of an effective teacher. Wong postulates that positive …show more content…
However, first-year teachers who exhibit a lot of expectations for their students are more likely to experience success. Wong defines effective as doing the right the right thing. Many new teachers often fall into the old trap of having positive expectations for some students and no expectation for another student. According to Wong, this would not be the right thing. Wong believes that “effective teachers exhibit positive expectation for all students” (Wong 2004). When discussing the topic of expectation one common phrase among educators is “The Pygmalion Effect”. The Pygmalion Effect speaks to teachers expectations of their students and how the teacher’s expectations affect their students’ educational outcome. A 2003 article written by Phillip Rainer found a direct correlation between student’s expectation and the Pygmalion Effect. The study underscored the fallacies of student expectation and the Pygmalion Effect. “The logic of the Pygmalion Effect is simple: if everyone thinks a child has talent then the child will have talent” (Riner 2003). Simply put, when teachers believe in students and allow that student to believe in themselves the student will begin to function in a different capacity in order to reach the expectation that has been set for him/her. Although, the research revealed that Pygmalion did affect student outcome, but the link was not casual. The entire theory …show more content…
Wong states that “classroom management consists of practices and procedures that a teacher uses to maintain an environment in which instruction and learning can occur” (Wong 2004). Hypothesis about classroom management was once based on untested theories. However, recent research in the area has provided much-needed strategies for the management of classrooms (Brophy & Good 2008). When people hear the words classroom management they instantly think of discipline problems: chewing gum, talking back, disruption instruction, or speaking out of term. “Classroom management is all the things teachers do to organize students, space, time, and materials so that students can learn” (Wong 2004). Although, the establishment of rules and procedures are essential; however, classroom management is more than just dealing with problems and conflicts; it is a process of doing: for example, it is the procedure teachers use to collect papers, allow students to go to the restroom, or even checking attendance. In “The First Days of School” Wong describes a formula to define classroom management, he states, “a well-ordered environment plus positive academic expectations good classroom management” (Wong 2004). Moreover, consistency is the key to classroom management. When teachers are fair and consistent in the application of the classroom and school rules, students are more apt to