Wong Harry K. - The first days of school: how to be an effective teacher

The successful teacher must know and practice the three characteristics of an effective teacher.

Why You Need to Succeed on the First Days of School

Your success during the school year will be determined by what you do on the first days of school.

What Is an Effective Teacher?

The beginning teacher must become proficient in the three characteristics of an effective teacher.

How You Can Be a Happy First-Year Teacher

The beginning teacher must perform the full complement of skills while learning those skills.

How to Close the Student Achievement Gap

The effectiveness of the teacher determines the level of student achievement.

Why You Should Use Proven, Research-Based Practices

Effective teachers use proven, research-based practices that are employed by thousands of other teachers.

Unit A is correlated with Part 1: The Effective Teacher in the DVD series The Effective Teacher .

THE KEY IDEA:

Your success during the school year will be determined by what you do on the first days of school.

Success on the First Day of School

Successful teachers have a script or a plan ready for the first day of school.

What you do on the first days of school will determine your success or failure for the rest of the school year. Knowing how to structure a successful first day of school will set the stage for an effective classroom and a successful school year.

College professor Douglas Brooks videotaped a series of teachers on their first day of school. Looking at the recording afterward, he made a startling discovery. The ineffective teachers began their first day of school by covering the subject matter or doing a fun activity. These teachers spent the rest of the school year chasing after the students.

The effective teachers spent time organizing and structuring their classrooms so the students knew what to do to succeed. He wrote his findings in an article, The First Day of School. (Brooks, Douglas M. (May 1985). The First Day of School. Educational Leadership , pp. 7678.)

The most important thing to establish in the first week of school is CONSISTENCY . People want to know exactly what they are getting and what will be happening. Students do not want surprises or disorganization. Consistency prevents them from asking, What are we doing today?

Students want a safe, predictable, and nurturing environmentone that is consistent. Students like well-managed classes because no one yells at them, and learning takes place. Effective teachers spend the first two weeks teaching students to be in control of their own actions in a consistent classroom environment.

Effective teachers teach classroom management procedures that create consistency. Their classrooms are caring, thought-provoking, challenging, and academically successful. A well-managed classroom is the foundation for learning in the classroom. Therefore, Unit C in this book may be the most important for you to read and implement as you start the first days of school.

Effective teachers have lesson plans and procedures that produce student learning. Unit D in this book will walk you through how to get your students to achieve.

Effective Teachers Script Their First Day of School