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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.
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

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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 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

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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.
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

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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
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. Also, students and teachers may lose site of the actual task at hand due to a

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focus on procedures. Procedures are a must in the classroom. However, procedures should
not be the primary focus and take away from actual learning.
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-kwong.html
Harry K. Wong Publications (n.d.). Harry k. wong, ed.d.. Retrieved from
http://www.effectiveteaching.com/pages.php?pageid=34