Harry Wong is an educator and speaker known for his work on classroom management. He received degrees from the University of California and Brigham Young University and taught high school science. Wong advocates spending the first two weeks of school teaching procedures rather than discipline. His three-step approach involves explaining, rehearsing, and reinforcing procedures until they become habit. Wong believes effective teachers manage their classrooms through procedures while ineffective teachers discipline. His books on classroom management have sold over 3.6 million copies.

1. Harry Wong
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
By: Courtney Runyon, Shirley Mounts, & Morgan Casey

2. About Wong:

An educator & educational speaker

From San Francisco, CA

Received undergraduate degree from
the University of California & doctorate
from Brigham Young University in Utah

Former high school science teacher

Awarded the Horace Mann
Outstanding Educator Award & the
Outstanding Biology Teacher Award

Received first Lifetime Achievement
Award by the National Teacher’s Hall
of Fame in 2012, in Emporia, Kansas

3. About Wong (continued):

Married a Sicilian woman named
Rosemary

They have three children and four
grandchildren

Travel across country mentoring
teachers

Built a school in Cambodia

Are the most sought after speakers in
education.

Travel the world teaching teachers
about classroom management

4. Author:

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 advocates classroom
management and procedures
over discipline.

5. Theory Overview
“No learning takes place when you
discipline. All disciplining does is stop
deviant behavior, which must be done, but
no learning has taken place. Learning only
takes place when the students are at
work, or as we say in education, on-task.”

6. Teacher’s Actions

Ineffective teachers begin the first day of school
attempting to teach a subject and spend the rest of the
school year running after the students.

Effective teachers spend most of the first two weeks of
the school year teaching students to follow classroom
procedures.
“Effective teacher manages a classroom, ineffective teacher
disciplines a classroom.”

7. Harry Wong: Discipline & Procedures

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u27OKWfLh6Y

8. Teacher’s Responsibilities

The Three-Step Approach for Teaching Classroom
Procedures

Explain: State, explain, model, and demonstrate the
procedure.

Rehearse: Rehearse and practice the procedure under
your supervision.

Reinforce: Reteach, rehearse, practice, and reinforce
the classroom procedure until it becomes a student
habit or routine.

9. First days of school can make or
break you
A SUCCESSFUL TEACHER IS READY:

The work is ready

The room is ready

The teacher is ready

10. Pros & Cons of Harry Wong
Pros:
Cons:

Approach of an effective teacher

No room for flexibility

Three Step Approach for Teaching
Classroom Procedures

Doesn’t take different individual
needs into consideration

Breakdown of procedures and
routines, & how this is utilized in a
successful classroom.

High expectations = positive results

11. “One of the greatest gifts a caring teacher can
contribute to children is to help them learn to sit
when they feel like running, to raise their hand
when they feel like talking, to be polite to their
neighbor, to stand in line without pushing, and to
do their homework when they feel like playing. By
introducing procedures in the classroom, you are
also introducing procedures as a way of living a
happy and successful life.”

13. 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 WellManaged 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
Images:
Unknown (Photographer). (2013, Novemeber ). Harry &
Rosemary Wong: Effective Teaching [Print Photo].
Retrieved from http://teachers.net/wong/NOV13/