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Harry K. Wong is an educator and an educational speaker, "referred to as 'Mr.

Practicality' for his common sense, user-friendly, no-cost approach to managing a

classroom for high-level student success". He is from San Francisco, CA. He attended

Lowell High School. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of

California, Berkeley and his doctorate from Brigham Young University in Utah. He is

married to a Sicilian lady named Rosemary. They have three children and four

grandchildren. Rosemary travels with her husband, across the country, mentoring

teachers.

Wong is a former high school science teacher. He was awarded the Horace Mann

Outstanding Educator Award and the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award. By using his

procedures for classroom management, his students showed no discipline problems, a 95%

homework turn in rate, and a zero drop-out rate. His students reached mastery level in

learning. Wong was presented with his first Lifetime Achievement Award by the National

Teacher's Hall of Fame in 2012. , in Emporia, Kansas.

Wong and his wife, Rosemary are the most sought after speakers in education. They

have a waiting list that is booked anywhere from 2-4 years in advance. They travel the

world, teaching teachers about classroom management. They also built a school in

Cambodia together.

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Wong is also an author. Some of his works include The First Days of School: How to

Be an Effective Teacher and New Teacher Induction. The First Days of School has sold over

3.6 million copies. He also has a variety of CD/Audio and DVD resources providing teacher

support. He advocates classroom management and procedures over discipline. He has

spoken to millions of people, about management and teacher expectations.

When you go into a restaurant, you expect the staff, table, and dining room to be

ready. Why shouldn’t the classroom be any different? Harry Wong showcases this in his

theory regarding classroom management. Children thrive in an environment that has been

prepared. The activities, the room, and the teacher must be prepared for all aspects of the

day. It is the teacher’s responsibility to make sure everything is in order when the children

enter the classroom, and there must be procedures in place, for example, how the lunch or

attendance is taken each day must be planned for. In doing so, the teacher almost

eliminates negative behavior.

Nevertheless, a successful classroom relies on the effectiveness of the teacher, and

according to Harry Wong, much of this effectiveness is shown in the first days of school.

These seemingly insignificant days can make you or break you. If it is not properly done,

the days to follow could be ruined according to this theory.

First, the teacher should greet her students and give them a warm welcome.

Second, the teacher should inform the students of what they want to know, for instance,

whether or not they are in the right room, where they are supposed to sit, who you are as a

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person, how you will treat them, what the rules are, what they will be doing, and how they

will be graded. Third, you should describe the procedures. According to Wong, this is a

three step process. The first is to explain. This is done by stating, explaining, modeling, and

demonstrating the procedure. The second is to rehearse, and this is done by rehearing and

practicing the procedure under your supervision. The last is to reinforce, which is done by

re-teaching, rehearsing, practicing, and reinforcing the classroom procedure until it

becomes a routine.

Nonetheless, there is a great difference between a procedure and a routine. As

explained by Wong, the procedure is what the teacher wants; however, the routine is what

the students do automatically. Once the students understand the procedures, a routine can

be established. One routine Wong strongly suggests to establish is morning work. The

students should come straight into class to begin their activity such as a bellringer to not

waste any time. This simple procedures activates the learning process and puts the day in

order. This is crucial according to this theorist because procedures and routines serve as

not only a precursor for discipline but also a substitute.

According to Harry Wong, the number one problem in the classroom is not

discipline: it is the lack of procedures and routines. Unlike procedures, discipline has

penalties and rewards and is concerned with how students behave. Yet, it does not always

take a verbal recognition; it can be a simple nonverbal cue such as a touch on the shoulder.

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Nevertheless, what does it take to be an effective teacher according to Wong? This

extraordinary theorist explains how to be effective in the following ways: 1. Make eye

contact, 2. Provide a copy of the plan for each student, 3. Have a discipline plan that does

not degrade students, 4. Enforce the rules consistently, 5. Learn how to discipline with the

body not with the mouth (nonverbal cues), 6. Teach students the concept of consequences

and responsibility, 7. Have self-confidence and faith in your capabilities. To sum up Harry

Wong’s classroom management theory, Wong states:

“In an effective classroom, students should not only know what they are doing, they

should know why and how.”

Harry Wong’s theory and strategies for classroom management are highly effective

and there are many ‘pros’ to his beliefs. He believes that teacher’s should set high

expectations in order to ensure success in the classroom, procedures and routines should

be well planned and enforced from the very beginning, and that effective teachers manage

a classroom and have structured discipline, rather than strictly running by discipline. All of

these strategies provide students with the structure they need to feel safe in their learning

environment and to be successful.

However, there are some ‘cons’ to Wong’s approaches. Wong believes five classroom

rules, at the most, will suffice. This may be somewhat difficult for some teachers to narrow

down. Ten or less classroom rules seems more reasonable. Also, Wong does not take into

consideration the differences in individual needs. Under certain circumstances, some

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students may not be able to handle the overload of responsibility. This is where a teacher

would have to make the appropriate adjustments for this particular student if using his

approaches.

Works Cited

Wong, Harry. (2000, June). Your First Day. Teachers.net Gazette. Retrieved November 11,2013, from http://teachers.net/gazette/wong.html.

Wong, Harry. (Unknown). The Well-Managed Classroom. Professional Reference for Teachers. Retrieved November 11, 2013, from http://go.hrw.com/resources/go_sc/gen/HSTPR034.PDF

Wong, H. (2012). Aei speakers bureau . Retrieved from http://www.aeispeakers.com/

Unknown. (2013, October 7 ). Biography . Retrieved from http://www.whoislog.info/profile/harry-k-wong.html

Harry K. Wong Publications (n.d.). Harry k. wong, ed.d.. Retrieved from http://www.effectiveteaching.com/pages.php?pageid=34