Rating: 
Summary: A BLESSING FROM GOD HIMSELF
Review: Being a recent college graduate, I thought I had been introduced to all the new concepts, and methods of tomorrows' teaching! Well, I did learn CONCEPTS and METHODS. HOWEVER.....no one taught about rules and procedures, the first week of school, how to set up your room, open house, conferences, bulletin boards, and where to put your supplies etc.. THIS BOOK IS WONDERFUL!!! If you do not own it! Buy it NOW. I will begin my first year teaching this fall, and I honestly believe that if it were not for Harry and Rosemary Wong and there excellent insight to the classroom I would truly have bombed on the first day! This book lays it all on the line for you and gives you excellent choices on how to run the most effective classroom! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! It is such an easy read, I read the entire book in about two weeks! I was attached to it like a Danielle Steele novel (well, for me Chicken Soup books)I hope this review is helpful, because as a future teacher I truly only want to make a difference (smile) God Bless, and Good Luck! Yolunda
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent resource but not entirely relevant for high school
Review: The First Days of School are a recommended read for any teacher from beginner to veteran. Harry and Rosemary Wong detail some invaluable techniques for creating lesson plans and reevaluating your teaching technique. Regrettably, the section on classroom management is geared for elementary, and quite possibly middle school, as opposed to high school. Although, they detail how to create a classroom procedures, which is helpful for all ages, I found the techniques they suggest for classroom management (such as ringing a bell, using finger gestures, and hands up to get attention) were too elementray for the high school students. I tried each procedure but found students had a hard time remembering and respecting these concepts. They even threw out my bell one day when I was absent. They found these techniques treated them like they 'were in kindergarten.' There are many invaluable tools in this book for all teachers, I refer back to it constantly, but I do not recommend it to high school teachers exclusively looking for help with classroom management skills.
Rating:
Summary: Too many misjudgements
Review: There are too many negative reviews for this book. It is sad to say that our educators cannot look at this book and others objectively and realize (before reading any book) that there is no one proven method on how be an effective teacher. Harry Wong offers many suggestions that can only work if you attempt them and attempt them more than once. Being an effective teacher takes trial and error to see what works with the students that you have now. He does offer many things that may appear to be common sense, but if they were, why are many teachers failing to do their job? I reccommend that new and veteran teachers alike read this book and try some of the different methods that he suggests. I have found that while many do work, there are some that do not. I have also found, after seeing on of his sememars on video, that many readers lose his witty sarcasm and take what he says as rude, arrogant, or just plain harsh. Wong's approach to teaching is that is should not wear you out the way that it does many teachers. He says that effective teachers are not worn out by attempting to manage their class, teach the lesson, and even handle discipline. Done properly, effective teaching is rewarding and refreshing. I highly recommend this book and, if possible, also recommend that teacher try see any of his seminars, either in person or on video. Together, each makes much more sense, and ther viewer can get many effective ways to not only manage their classroom, but teach the students so that they can obatin mastery. (Note: If you have read and or watch any video by Wong, you will notice that a lot of my wording comes from him and what he has to say)
Rating:
Summary: A good book for new teachers
Review: I first was introduced to Harry Wong through a set of videos my mentor teacher had. I found his advice useful, and I still use a number of those ideas today. Coming from a department that didn't stress classroom management very well, I found this book to be priceless. This is a book you need to read BEFORE the "First Days of School". Some of the ideas take awhile to implement and many of them need to be in place from day one. You can't change you rules two or three times and not expect to upset the apple cart (no pun intended). The only real drawback I saw in this book is, like so many things in education, this book is largely geared toward elementary teaching. Although it is useful to a secondary teacher, it really shines for the elementary teacher. I don't have my original copy anymore. It has been passed down to new teachers over the last couple years, but each of them has found it useful.
Rating:
Summary: This is the most practical book for teachers I've seen.
Review: This book has shown me, a first-year teacher, the most effective ways to budget my time, energy and resources. There are so many valuable examples and suggestions for behavior management, procedures, setting rules, and overall ways to be a highly successful teacher. This selection goes beyond theory and actually shows the reader a path to take in order to be the kind of teacher that makes a positive impact on the lives of children, parents, and collegues alike. Reading this book decreased my anxiety in the few weeks before my first teaching experience, simply because it helped me realize exactly what I wanted my classroom to become. I highly suggest this to any teacher, new or veteran, as a refresher course in why we have chosen this career and how to be our best!
Rating:
Summary: "The Book" for teachers!
Review: This is the BEST book on teaching that I have ever encountered. I am two classes away from my MA in Education and feel that most of the required TEXTBOOK reading at the degree factory, I mean university, was a huge waste of time. Harry Wong's book, however, gave me excellent advice on classroom management and there are still many ideas in the book that I hope to apply one day. Everyone to whom I have recommended this book has found it to be the most useful book on teaching that they have ever read. DON'T start your first year of teaching without it!!!
Rating:
Summary: A guide for all educators
Review: I'm puzzled by the comments posted by the high school teacher working in an independent school who feels that the book is aimed only at public elementary school teachers (see review below). Dr. Wong's book is aimed at ALL teachers in schools public and private, grades K-12. I've used the book (and the complementary videos) with middle and high school teachers in our PAROCHIAL school. Those teachers who have implemented even a few of the books' suggestions have enjoyed significantly fewer student problems than those who just sail along doing the same, tired old things in the same, tired old ways. As for examples of classroom rules, they're THERE in black and white. I fail to see the problem. I have been an educator for over 20 years and have been using Dr. Wong's book for the past six. How I wish I'd had it for the fourteen years previous! This one's a gem--buy with confidence.
Rating: 
Summary: I wish they had a 0 star for this book
Review: I was required to read this book in college. I have to say it was the biggest waste of my time and money. This book seems to talk down to the reader as if they were a child. The books spends too much time telling teachers to do things like smile. If you can't smile at your students, maybe you shouldn't be teaching!
Rating:
Summary: This book gave me a nervous twitch
Review: I don't know what to say about this book. Perhaps, I didn't give it enough of a chance. But, most of the time I thought they were writing for 10 year olds with such wonderful insights as "cultured, polite people can be identified by their manner... if you abuse a child, the child will grow up with expectation of being abused by others" (71). And, there was an especially bizzare section that I thought must be a joke. I must quote this at length: If we are to prepare students for tomorrow's world, we need to know the world. If you do not know the world, ask your principal for a day off and go take a look. Stand at a major airport and watch passengers disembark from United, Lufthansa, and Japan Air Lines. Then go downtown in the business district of a city and watch the successful people walk by--executives, shopkeepers, salespeople, and secretaries... Having observed the world, after you have dressed in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror before you go to school to face your students who will see you as a model of success in tomorrow's competitive global economy. Ask yourself the following three questions....
2) Would McDonald's allow you to hand food to a customer dressed the way you are? (page 58). Wow.
Rating:
Summary: helpful, YES, useful, YES
Review: As a education student about to do my student teaching, I bought this book after seeing his videos in my classroom management class. I believe that this is the best book I have read so far about classroom management. I know that if only my teachers had used some of his techniques the classes would have been better.
I HIGHLY recommend this book and so do the other students I know who have bought it. We have enjoyed it!
| 
