"The most important day of a person's education is the first day of school, not graduation." These words are the basis of Wong's book and ring throughout every chapter. Although we are nearing the last quarter of school, many of the tips Wong gives are not only important on the first day of school, but throughout the whole year.
First Days of School - How to Help All Students Succeed
As we mentioned last week, we are starting a new series centered around Harry and Rosemary Wong's books, The First Days of School. Wong outlines the three characteristics of an effective teacher as:
- Has positive expectations.
- Is an extremely good classroom manager.
- Knows how to design lessons for student mastery.
For the first couple weeks, we will focus on positive expectations.
How to Help All Students Succeed - Chapter 7
How to Welcome Students to School (Wong, p.47)
- Organize a first day of school celebration.
- Stand at the bus stop and welcome them.
- Stand at every entrance to the school.
- Hang a welcoming banner.
- Have guides in the hall.
- Have your name and room number clearly visible.
- Make sure the first message over the loud speaker is a welcoming one.
A second quote in this chapter that is really powerful is, "School is a concept wherein students are welcome to learn and enhance the quality of their lives without fear of intimidation or harm..." (Wong, p.48)
The bottom line is students need to feel welcomed, cared for, and safe in order to even begin to be successful. Sometimes, as educators, we overlook some of our students most basic needs and don't understand why he/she is not understanding material or staying caught up in class. Sometimes we need to stop and think about how the student feels in your environment.
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