Perhaps the most important thing to notice about this book is its title, The FIRST Days of School. I think this book does a good job of giving inexperienced teachers some ideas about how to get off to a good start. As the authors write, "The first days of school can make or break you."

Wong & Wong offer specific suggestions for establishing classroom routines that will help prevent chaos. For example, teachers are normally required to report absent students, and that requires taking attendance. Many teachers do this at the beginning of class, a procedure that takes at least a few minutes. Experienced teachers with a "good rep" can often get away with this, but young, inexperienced teachers may find that during this activity student order breaks down. Wong & Wong recommend getting the students busy on some assignment as soon as they enter the room, and taking attendance while the students work. Something as simple as this can make a world of difference in how a class proceeds.

You can learn things like this in the classroom, but if you learn about them before you get into the classroom you'll have an easier time. I learned in my first weeks of teaching that trouble was much more likely to arise if I sat at my desk than if I stood up. (As Marva Collins likes to say, "To be a good teacher you need a comfortable pair of shoes.") But I was not taught this in my education courses. Wong & Wong tell you things like this so you don't have to learn them the hard way.

This sort of information is very useful, so I think new teachers are well advised to buy this book. The focus here, however, as in most "teaching" books, is not teaching but classroom management. But we are not in classroom merely to maintain order; we are there to teach. Anyone who is serious about teaching will need to read books about teaching as well as classroom management. Among textbooks, Looking in Classrooms, by Good & Brophy is well worth studying. Glenn Latham's Behind the Schoolhouse Door is a briefer, more readable book on teaching that is worth reading.

Study classroom management and the essentials of teaching before you get to the classroom, and you and your students will both be better off.

Wong and Wong is a great resource for all teachers, but it is true that it is intended more for the elementary classroom. If you are looking for a practical guide, especially for new teachers, read A Lesson Plan for Teachers, New and Old. It is a more practical approach to the real incidents and experiences faced by seconday level teachers.

This is a great book for new teachers to read. It gives many helpful tips on classroom management.

Harry Wong really has some stuff straight. I'm working towards my teaching license and am working in some different schools. Harry's techniques really work! I've seen the difference of teachers that use this and those who don't. Wow, what a difference!
It's about gaining back your respect as a professional... not having to yell or be unprofessional in order to manage your students. Dicipline is not the #1 problem in todays classrooms. It's all about routines and proceedures. Establishing routines and proceedures allows the students to know what is expected of them and allows them to focus on learning in a structured environment conducive to learning. Seriously, get this book. If every classroom did this... we would have an amazing education system.

This is actually applicable to most teachers, but it takes at least a year to impliment it ALL correctly in the classroom. Make sure to apply it with some common sense and NOT word-for-word!

This is a wonderful book for teachers new and old learning how to manage a successful classroom. Cannot recommend it highly enough

A great book to start teachers on the right track with confidence in classroom management. An easy reference guide to typical topics that first year teachers struggle with.

The book that I ordered came very quick, and it is in really great condition. I am really satisfied with the product that I received.

This was advertised and bought "new" yet it had highlighting. Also after 38 years of teaching myself there was little if any help for me, not Amazon's fault though.

I had to get this book for a class. First off, it assumes you know nothing and includes such chestnuts as "Hard Work Achieves Success". Gee, thanks. It's heavily padded with other slogans throughout the book, too.

Second it's written for mainstream teachers. I teach Special Ed. This book's advice is somewhere in between useless and dangerous with my population. I deal with some students most people would consider very difficult. I'd probably have people throwing desks if I used the book's discipline plan. I keep it simple. Respect each other. Respect yourself.

My other problem is the fact the book's layout is terrible. It uses oversized pages and tries to cram all sorts of pie graphs in the margins which is distracting. In terms of standard typography and visual layout, this book fails mightily. It's very cluttered. Glance through it. It's very tough to read in a purely visual sense.

Wiki Skinner's "Behavorial Shaping" and Bandura's "Observational Learning" if you want to improve your classroom. These work. Try them. I've found that the theory you get from Education classes about "contracts" and "7 effective habits", etc just don't work in real life.

On the plus side, some of the book's advice really isn't bad like "Discipline the problem, not the student," but it is kind of obvious to anyone who ever went to Sunday school i.e. "Hate the sin love the sinner". I don't really think you should have to tell people who received a Bachelor's degree (or higher) that. Maybe I'm overly optimistic.

The textbooks I ordered from Amazon.com came in a speedy fashion. I received them on the date that they suggested. Thank you

I bought this for my daughter who was starting her first job as a high school math teacher. She heard from a friend that it was very helpful for new teachers.

Came in when I least expected, really fast and that's great for people who have deadlines for an assignment.

As a preservice teacher, I highly recommend this book as a great addition to any teacher's repertoire of literature. It offers teacher-tested strategies and tips that can me implemented in any classroom environment.

there's a lot of really good information in this book, and its super helpful, i would seriously suggest that any future (or current even) teacher buy it & keep it nearby. BUT, the formatting of the book is like.... a schizophrenic wrote it! its all over the place, its hard to figure out where the really important info is. kinda strange. but still good!

This book is excellent and the waiting time to receive it was very short. It came when I needed it and it was in excellent condition as promised.

This is the first time ever using Amazon. com, I must say I am very pleased with the quality of the book purchased. The book was was in excellent condition, and was delivered as promised. The website was also very easy to navigate. I am amazed it took me so long to use this website.

This book is simple yet very effective in helping the novice or the seasoned teacher. I read it, took notes, and am applying what I learned.

I thank God someone advised me to read this book. I would not have been prepared. This is a must have for every teacher and anyone contemplating teaching.

This is one of the first books I purchased in preparation for my first year of teaching. It has already proven itself to be a valuable resource, from effective classroom management techniques to long-term professional development advice. This book has exceeded my expectations in its comprehensive coverage of typical first year teacher issues. I foresee using this book throughout my teaching career as a resource and a reminder to use and expand upon its recommended techniques and habits so that I can continue to grow as a professional educator.

While the Wongs have created a well-written, nicely-detailed and generally-helpful how-to for teachers, especially new ones, the book also can be maddeningly frustrating as well.
The book, as other critics have noted, is focused on the elementary school teacher, not the middle/junior or high school teacher. Some of the strategies and techniques do, indeed, work at the upper levels.
For example, all teachers, regardless of grade level, need to use a seating chart, an attention-getting signal and a daily "do-now" exercise. And the Wongs outline these ideas effectively.
But the Wongs have, unfortunately, based many of their ideas on the assumption that a teacher has his or her own room, to do with as he or she pleases. Such is not the case with most upper-level teachers.
I used this book during my first year of teaching, which wasn't that long ago. I still use it today. I found it helpful back then, and still find it helpful now. Taken with the proverbial grain of salt, there is much here that will be helpful for the beginner as well as for the novice.
Still, as other critics have noted, there are several cheaper, better books out there. For beginners, I recommend "Rookie Teaching for Dummies" -- yes, it's part of the now-famous "Dummies" series. There's good stuff there, and not just for the beginning elementary school teacher.

I received this book from the alternative certification program that I was enrolled in and found it to reiterate everything they told us in training. I would never purchase this book for myself but I guess it was good to hear the same information more than once!

these books came when ordered. No gliches. We like the material in this book and we have the videos of Harry K Wong as well. Great stuff.

This is a excellent book for any first year teacher. It is full of highly
useful information on how to deal with your first days of school. Rate It
A++

I am absolutely enjoying "The First Days of School." I am a teacher with twenty-seven years teaching experience. After an illness and a change in teaching assignment, I found that I had become stagnant and overwhemed with new job requirements, including techology systems and grade reporting. "The First Days of School" is great for new teachers, as well as veteran teachers who need the motivation to continue doing the job of educating young people. It rekindled a spark that had become dormant after many years. This is a great roadmap!

I am a successful veteran teacher, and every summer I still revisit this book to get motivated for the new school year ahead. I had the pleasure of watching the entire video series of Mr. Wong, and so perhaps I can appreciate the book more than others who have not. Both are thoughtful, and I have gained many tips. I find his information particularly helpful at the middle school level, where classroom procedures must be crystal clear. I have read a lot, still haven't found the "perfect" teacher book - but this is as good as it gets!

This is a very interesting and helpful book for beginning teachers, or teachers who wish they ran a more effective classroom. This book is full of practical tips that you can implement right now, and is written in a very user-friendly format with lots of graphics and main ideas in bold. This is a great book.

An excellent book, Harry K. Wong's The First Days of School changed my teaching style forever. It changed my life!

If this volume is assigned, as it was in my case, our opinion doesn't matter. I find Highlights Magazine for children to be a more penetrating look at ANYTHING than this revenue generator. Good luck, sorry if you, too were required to buy it.

...outdated, very few useful ideas, centered around elementary education, and an absurd tone of cheerfulness mixed with condescension.

When I was a new teacher I really hoped this book would prepare me for running a smooth classroom but it just steered my thinking in the wrong direction and ultimately it probably did more harm than good.

This books "popularity" is simply due to the fact that it is a fad book within administrative circles. This is because Wong goes out of his way to argue that teachers who criticize inservice and professional development activities are just bad teachers.

Very eye-opening. A truly great read for any caring educator. Time-tested and researched techniques, procedures, and rules. Even a chapter on dressing the part. Well worth every penny. I have two copies.

I would purchase a product from this seller again. This came in a timely manner.

Thanks for the book. I've searched book stores for a while and they never had it in stock. It was nice to find a new book still in it's package cheaper than any book store.

It was shipped fast and was brand new in the plastic wrap like I ordered.

I got this book for my student teacher for his graduation. This is a great resource for veteran teachers as well. It has very practical ideas to help get your classroom off to a great start.

This book was assigned to me by my ACP program. It has some very useful information such as how to introduce yourself to students, how to start the first class of the first day, professional behavior and dress, help with decorating the class, creating class rules, etc. Very useful.

Excellent book. Very handy for new and regular teachers. Gives an insight on how to be an effective teacher. Gives numerous suggestions on how to start the first day of school.

Being a brand new substitute teacher, I found this book very helpful. I spent 32 years of employment in a corporation. Then when I retired, I decided I wanted to work with children in some way. So I decided to substitute teach. Still I worried, will I do ok? Will I fail as a substitute teacher? This book helped me in so many ways. It has been so helpful and is a great read for both teachers and substitutes. The book is geared more so for teachers and substitutes in elementary or kindergarten classes, in my opinion.

This text was recommended to me by other seasoned teachers. I'm a first year teacher and found the amount of text to be a bit overwhelming, especially trying to plan for a new schoolyear. There are some valid ideas- and his videos are good. I also downloaded the CD to my MP3 player and listened to his talks while I was driving to school. The book is helpful- but may take a bit of time to get through.

This was a required book for a classroom management class. It turned out to be a GREAT addition to my 'toolbox'. I've used it on many occassions. It is not a book to read straight through, rather, you read what you need. Novel idea. Dr. Wong knowst the classroom and how to make the classroom experience best for both the student and the teacher.

Great gift for that new teacher on your Christmas list.

I have heard Harry Wong speak at a conference and was blown away. He spoke for three hours in front of thousands of teachers and kept us all engaged and laughing for the entire three hours. He is definitely a gifted speaker with a wealth of knowledge about teaching. But I must say his book was far less interesting. I was reluctant about this book at first as I was already an experienced teacher but it came so highly recommended that I thought I'd give it a chance. There are some good tips about teaching but there are too many redundant sidebars and footnotes. There are topics that could've been covered with a paragraph which Harry Wong goes on for an entire chapter. The lay out of the book looks colorful and busy but for reading and learning about effecting teaching - not so effective. I would not recommend this to beginning teachers or experienced teachers.

I've taught in a school for six years and this is the BEST teaching book I've ever read. It doesn't matter if you've taught for 20 years or if it's your first year. This book is for you! :-)

This is a great book. I highly recommend it to all new teachers. As an experienced teacher, I recently re-read to make sure I was offering current advice. I had read it and used it years ago but I am glad to say, this is still a great book for all teachers. It provides you with ideas for classroom management, time management, lesson plans and so much more. For experienced teachers, it reminds us of all the good things we are doing right and refreshes our skills. Good Luck and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

This is OK for someone going into elementary school initially. However for higher grades it is lacking. When you are dealing with keeping butts in seats, where the desks are arranged is irrelevant.

The ordered item arrived promptly and in excellent condition, just as it was described. I would definately buy from this seller again.

As a teacher, this book is a must read at the beginning of EVERY school year...and again throughout the year. I give it to all my student teachers as a going away gift, and to any family or friends for their first year of teaching.

I absolutely recommend this book. I used it for a college class for teachers. It is very motivating and has lots of hands-on practical ideas. Should be a required read for beginning teachers! and even those who have taught a while.

Harry Wong presents this classic book on how to be an effective teacher with vigor, heart and insight. The five chapters of the book range from inspirational pep talk to specific practical tips on how to survive long enough to become a successful teacher. If you are new to teaching or having trouble with it, this is a definite read.

The five chapters in this book:
1. The Teacher
2. Positive Expectations
3. Classroom Management
4. Lesson Mastery, and
5. The Professional (Teacher)

are like a sandwich. The first and last chapters are the bread. A little wordy, basic, and redundant. A Pep talk on self-esteem, how to get ahead, how to generate enthusiasm. Chapter 2 is the lettuce, it picks up the pace, dealing with what to wear, say, and how to interact with others. Chapters 3 and 4 are the meat with lots of good material on classroom management, dealing with students, assigning work, getting results.

Perfect for for someone wanting advice on a broad range of the challenges facing new teachers. Others may want to concentrate on specific chapters.

For a more nuts and bolts 'how to' book for dealing with the classroom and students, consider Fred Jones "Tools for Teaching." Includes Fred's suggested methods of going toe-to-toe with difficult students and specific methods for getting kids to work.

This book ia an absolute MUST for the first year teacher. I've taught for eight (+) years and have gotten so much out of this book. Harry Wong's strategies are a teacher's "bag of tricks" for her first day of teaching and many years,after. If you really enjoy being a teacher, look into this book. It is a valuable resource for any teacher.

Whether you are a new teacher or whether you have been teaching 35 years, you need this book. Makes classroom management a breeze, and life so much more happy!