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477 ratings, 3.83 average rating, 115 reviews
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published
July 2004
by Harry K. Wong Publications
binding
Paperback, 352 pages
isbn
0962936065
(isbn13: 9780962936067)
description
With nearly 1.4 million copies sold, you'll learn practical techniques on discipline, procedures and routines, teaching for mastery, cooperative learn...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 588)
Read in August, 2008
recommended to Ayacalypso by:
A teaching course professorrecommends it for: student teachers, new teachers, or teachers who need help getting control over their classroom.
This book taught me several things that were not taught in my teaching courses, for example:
- How spending time at the beginning of the school year, teaching class procedures instead of content will actually maximize instructional time for the rest of the year.
- How to use a predictable daily routine to get students to begin working right away and minimize transition time.
- When is the best time to take role.
- Stressing the element of student choice in managing behavior ("You chose ...more
- How spending time at the beginning of the school year, teaching class procedures instead of content will actually maximize instructional time for the rest of the year.
- How to use a predictable daily routine to get students to begin working right away and minimize transition time.
- When is the best time to take role.
- Stressing the element of student choice in managing behavior ("You chose ...more
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Read in December, 2006
recommends it for:
Pre-service teachers
I'm drafting up a lawsuit against my teaching college for not exposing me to this book. Possibly class action, on behalf of my first-year students.
These are insights that I could easily have come up with on my own, if left to my own devices for 20 years or so. I'm glad I didn't have to do that. The book doesn't beat around the bush. The important parts are in bold, with pictures and diagrams. Any teacher can benefit from reading this book, or even just flipping through it for the key points...more
These are insights that I could easily have come up with on my own, if left to my own devices for 20 years or so. I'm glad I didn't have to do that. The book doesn't beat around the bush. The important parts are in bold, with pictures and diagrams. Any teacher can benefit from reading this book, or even just flipping through it for the key points...more
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Despite the corny, kiddish cover and the lame rectangular shape of this book, it is extremely helfpful for first year teachers or teachers (ahem, Christian!) who aren't, well, the most organized. It's not a classic for nothing! Oh, and ignore all the silly illustrations, and skip over the parts about how "noble" it is for teachers to drive Chevys, too. Now that I think about it, maybe I should just photocopy the good parts for you.
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Starting a new job this year caused me to pull out this old 'classic'. I really feel that every teacher should take a few minutes to read through this book at the start of the year. Sure, Wong is a little idealistic, but his attitude and desire for excellence are goals to which we should all aspire. Re-reading this really helped me get my year off to a great start.
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recommends it for:
teachers (especially first years)
This is sort of the business side of teaching. It's all about how to manage your classroom, which is something I feel isn't emphasized enough. It's easy to understand and use in your own classroom.
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
K-5 teachers, clueless and/or nervous first-time teachers
This book came highly recommended from several sources. I had received a copy as a gift when I began teaching at the high school level, but I hadn't bothered to open it until recently.
After reading it, I'm glad that I didn't adopt Wong's methodologies as a first-day secondary teacher. My classes would have eaten me alive. It's not that the book is necessarily poor, but I believe that it is best-suited for K-5 teachers, who deal with students at a much earlier point in their development....more
After reading it, I'm glad that I didn't adopt Wong's methodologies as a first-day secondary teacher. My classes would have eaten me alive. It's not that the book is necessarily poor, but I believe that it is best-suited for K-5 teachers, who deal with students at a much earlier point in their development....more
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
new teachers
UUUUGGGH. All signs pointed to 'yes': an administrator I respected recommended this book as a good manual on how to approach classroom management from the beginning of the year, it was referenced often as a good starting point for new teachers, it was the same size and shape as Fred Jones' Tools for Teaching.
But Harry K. and Rosemary T. Wong might be a little bit crazy. They self-published this book so they could have complete c...more
But Harry K. and Rosemary T. Wong might be a little bit crazy. They self-published this book so they could have complete c...more
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Easy to read. Harry's suggestions will stay with you through out your teaching career. My favorite is Harry's recommendation to make telephone contact with all families once a month. "Call when no one is home: Hello, this is your child's teacher, just wanted to tell you what a pleasure it is to have _____ in my class. You must be so proud of ____ . Bye" Hang up! No muss, no fuss.
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to Katie by:
My student teaching mentor teacher
This book has some good and bad points. The major negative is that it is INCREDIBLY repetitive. It takes about 5 pages to make a point that could have been well made and just as effective in 1 paragraph. Also, a lot of the information was just rehashing stuff I learned in my teacher education classes so it wasn't really helpful. However, it is true that no one really tells you how to go about the first days of school and ways to begin the year to set the tone for the type of year you want to...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
teachers, first-year teachers
This is a great book for either the beginning teacher or the teacher who is struggling with classroom management. It's helped me in so many aspects of my teaching. This is the one teaching book I find myself coming back to again and again.
Wong focuses teacher attitude, expectations, classroom management, lesson mastery, and professional development. The part I always find myself turning to is the classroom management part because it provides a lot of advice on procedures and creating an...more
Wong focuses teacher attitude, expectations, classroom management, lesson mastery, and professional development. The part I always find myself turning to is the classroom management part because it provides a lot of advice on procedures and creating an...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in August, 2008
Some good stuff is compiled here. Wong has some good things going for him in the classroom, or at least he writes that he did. He is no longer in the classroom because he is a making millions by being a superstar in the motivational education industry. He (or his editors) is good at compiling information from teachers successful and unsuccessful alike that proves of interest or help. But as far as the real way that school works or how we can implement his strategies, there is no information ...more
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Probably 3.5 stars. I don't know if I read this too late within my education, but apart from a few good ideas, most of this was not new information. Wong has organized his book very well and reminds the reader of the "build up" to the first few days of school - days he deems most important for any given school year. Yet, I cannot help but think that Wong is egotistical and get annoyed with his strange way of including himself in his own text. I had to read this for New Teacher Acad...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to MrsQ by:
a teacherrecommends it for: teachers
Everyone rants and raves about this book, but I personally think think it caters more to the interests and needs of elementary educators. Having said that, much of it is broadly applicable to the situation of all educators, so I would still recommend reading it. The nice thing about it is it's set up as a series of reminders and the language is simple and straightforward. It also covers topics that rarely are addressed in preservice training, or even other books for new teachers.
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recommended to Kate by:
'Nita Moore
recommends it for: new elementary teachers
recommends it for: new elementary teachers
I was about to have my own classroom of 25 students in 2 months and never stepped into a classroom as the teacher before. This book made me think about things that I would never had thought of just relying on my own memories of a classroom from being a student. Yes, some of Harry's ideas were a bit over the top, but this gave me a basis to work with in an elementary classroom. Now that I am going into my 5th year teaching, I still look back for new ideas.
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Read in September, 2003
As far as teacher books go, this one is good because it provides tangible advice. The idea of shaking my students' hands as they entered the classroom, though, made me laugh. There are other, better ways of greeting high school students. Additionally, the idea of hanging your diploma on the wall of your classroom was ridiculous. Who cares if you have a degree? If you can't teach, the degree is worthless. Everything else was pretty valuable advice, though.
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
New teachers who don't read many real, big-person books
Eh. While Wong makes a lot of lucid points about what it takes to be a successful teacher, I found his self-aggrandizing writing style and veiled condescension grating. He reiterates the importance of professionalism as a teacher, but then writes a book whose layout looks like it was designed for five year olds. Teachers aren't idiots, Harry. You can write a book that isn't larded with cliches and ridiculous clip art, and people will read it.
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Read in August, 2008
I bought this on a recommendation years ago when I did my student mission at Parkview. I remember it being very helpful, and so it's being pulled out again as a little refresher of things to remember.
The first couple of chapters pointed where one should be without how to get there. The next section seems to be getting to the practical advice I remember. Good stuff, but not one to read cover to cover for sure.
The first couple of chapters pointed where one should be without how to get there. The next section seems to be getting to the practical advice I remember. Good stuff, but not one to read cover to cover for sure.
Read in October, 2008
Harry Wong is a very intelligent man, and he has excellent ideas. He has a way of making his educational theory seem like no-brainer ideas, and even admits that they are not cutting-edge theories in education, but things that good teachers have been doing for years. The problem I had with the book is that he was very wordy. He took a very long time to say things that could be said in a book half as thick.
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Read in January, 1997
One of those books that seems to be assigned frequently and read casually. If more teachers would just follow Wong's suggestions, there would be far fewer aching 1st year teachers. That said, I find his style to be more 'A' type than what fits me and he's a better fit to elementary teachers. If you know someone who's going to teach and they haven't read this, do them a favor and snag a copy.
This book echoes many themes to be found in Psychocybernetics. The view that one need only be competent and possessed of self-discipline to succeed is disappointingly rare in a society given to a lazy sense of entitlement. The enthusiastic way the author hammers home the concept that you choose your life, and that only you are to blame if you are not succeeding, is refreshing.
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