Customer Reviews

The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher

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I purchased this book shortly after graduating from an Education program while looking for a job. In September, the day before my very first day of school, I inhaled this book and changed the plans for my first day entirely. This book addresses all of the questions I had at the very beginning of the first few days of school. From how to greet students first thing in the morning to getting the most valuable information from them at the end of the period, phoning home, parent teacher interviews, and a variety of ways to set up your classroom, it covered all of the basics I needed. Of course I still had questions that only my school administration team could answer, but I was able to feel ready for that very first day. One of the best things about this book is it is universal, it has applications that can work in any K-12 classroom. Personally, I teach 9-12 and had to make a few adaptations, but it has worked for me! I've passed this book onto my principal, raving about it, especially for those teachers who are new to our division, or new to the profession. This book is not meant to be a cover-all for all aspects of teaching, but rather a step-by-step guide for any new and anxious teacher the week before school starts. Supplement with other material and texts and you have the perfect beginning teacher's library!

In addition to supporting the develop of effective new teachers, this is a valuable resource for teachers looling to improve the quality of their classroom instruction.

This book is a must for any first time teacher. The information and insight in this book will take a teacher-in-training far beyond a lengthy practicum. There's practical advice that will start you out on the right foot and help you through rough times. Should be recommended reading for all first year teachers.

For 12 years I taught elementary classes on a rotary schedule which meant that I would go into classes where routines were already established by the home room teachers. (Much like my practice teaching at Teacher's College.)

In my 13th year of teaching, I finally had my own class. I thought I had the skills to manage a class. I quickly found out that teaching a 40 minute class is a lot different than teaching a class all day for 5 1/2 hours. I needed to learn how to manage a class or the class was going to manage me.

My principal gae me the name of Harry Wong and his videos (DVDs now!)The Effective Teacher. I watched those videos and then enrolled in a study group our district held for his book The First Days of School. Not only did I learn how to become a good classroom manager, I also learned how to design lessons to help students achieve and what it means to be a professional educator and an effective teacher. For 16 years, until I retired, I reviewed my copious notes on the First Days of School every August before school started. I fine tuned my lessons and procedures and made sure that my students and I had a fantastic first day of school and a fantastic year of learning.

Having read both the Wong's First Days of School and Tools for Teaching by Dr. Fred Jones, Dr. Jones goes far beyond the Wong's in preparing teachers for classroom management. Tools for Teaching is the product of over 30 years of updated research on how natural teacher's teach for the success of each student as a whole person, and the strategies that have allowed me to walk out of class each day for the last five years, stress free, in reguard to my students. I have taught early adolescents for the majority of my career, and in all my years, nothing has been a greater resource.Fred Jones Tools for Teaching: Discipline, Instruction, Motivation [With DVD]