The First Days of School 1

The First Days of School

Clement Chee

University of St. Thomas

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The First Days of School was written by Harry and Rosemary Wong. Harry Wong did his
undergraduate at UC Berkeley and attained his doctorate from Brigham Young University. His
wife, Rosemary, studied at Southeastern Louisiana University, earned her M.Ed from Louisiana
State University and her doctorate at Brigham Young University. Together, they began Harry K.
Wong Publications and has developed books and programs to assist teachers, particularly those
new to the profession. They are widely published and sought after as speakers in the world of
education. Between the two of them, they have won awards for their work including, but not
limited to, Upton Sinclair Award, Silicon Valley Woman of Influence Award (obviously won by
Rosemary), the Horace Mann Outstanding Educator Award, Outstanding Secondary Teacher
Award, and the Valley Forge Teachers Medal. They have used their fame, influence, and success
to assist with several philanthropic projects, including their own school that they fund and
manage in Cambodia. (About Us 2017)
I chose this book because it has been highly recommended at the school that I work at. In
reading the text, I can see how it has influenced the policies in our school and the way we nurture
teachers and students. The books major themes revolve around nurturing and supporting new
teachers and investing in all teachers in terms of their development and growth as teachers. They
recognize that being a first year teacher is difficult. They even say, Teacher education will not
have prepared you. Student teaching will not have prepared you. The district may not have
prepared you. Yet, you will be expected to perform immediately. (Wong 2009) The core of the
book addresses classroom management and lesson mastery, which are the two main areas that a
teacher has to try to balance and new teachers in particular have difficulty managing. Topics
discussed range from how to start class, how to arrange seating, and how to manage a gradebook
to creating an effective assessment and a discipline plan.
In terms of how it can help a future administrator, it changes the whole approach to hiring
and supporting teachers. Firstly, it opens up the door to hiring more brand new teachers. If the
school can hire and help foster and mold new teachers, they provide a resource not only for
themselves but their entire district or diocese. Secondly, it requires the administrators to focus
their attention of taking care of teachers. A brand new teacher has very different needs from a
veteran teacher. A brand new teacher should be paired with a veteran mentor who can guide them
through the pitfalls, random events, and sometimes even heartbreaks of being a first year teacher.
A veteran teacher needs to be motivated and enabled to better their practices. The professional
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educator is always learning and growing. (Wong 2009) Finally, it can be difficult for an
administrator to let go of being more hands-on with students, particularly if they are just coming
from the classroom. However, an administrators role should first be to support their teachers and
hold them accountable to the highest standard. Effective teachers will produce strong results and
it is the administrators responsibility to ensure that that their teachers become those effective
teachers.
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References
About Us. (2017). Retrieved March 3, 2017, from http://www.harrywong.com/
Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2009). The First Days of School. Harrry K. Wong Publications.