I listened to the Wongs

Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong, authors of The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher, came to Manila. I had the chance to listen to them on July 28, 2012. I was lucky to get a free-ticket from Dualtech to attend the couple's presentation.

We arrived at the venue early enough to get well-placed seats. I was surprised there were so many coming in: I was told about two thousand came for the morning session alone.


The talk begun an hour later. Harry Wong spoke first, then Rosemary Wong and they took turns coming up on-stage. It was a husband and wife tandem.

Their Talk

By and large, their talk consisted of sharing experiences of teachers who used their book. They demonstrated the three (3) characteristics of effective teachers:

1. Are extremely good classroom managers;
2. Can teach for lesson mastery; and
3. Have positive expectations for student success.

Characteristics of Effective Teachers
Are extremely good classroom managers
Can teach for lesson mastery
Have positive expectations for student success

On being good classroom managers, they expounded on the wisdom of preparing and setting-up various procedures in the classroom. They said, "in order for a teacher to manage his or her classroom, a teacher should plan and explain to the students procedures and routines."

They showed a slide driving home the point, saying, "Discipline concerns how students Behave. Procedures concerns how things are done. Discipline has penalties and rewards. Procedures have no penalties or rewards".

Discipline concerns how students Behave. Procedures concerns how things are Done. Discipline has penalties and rewards. Procedures have no penalties or rewards.

According to Harry and Rosemary, procedures and routines could be set-up for:

• Entering the Classroom
• Starting Bellwork
• Quieting the Class
• Taking Class Roll
• Collecting Seat Work
• Allowing Restroom Breaks
• Eating in the Cafeteria
• Changing Groups/Transitions
• Working While Others Finish
• Reviewing Daily Closing Message
• Saying "Thank You"
• Leaving at the End of Class
• and for many others...

"Through procedures and routines, a teacher can get students to do what he or she wants them to do", Rosemary explained with matching slides and anecdotes.

On teaching for lesson mastery, the duo explained the magic of formulating and letting students know lesson objectives and rubrics or scoring guide. "Learning has nothing to do with what the teacher covers. Learning has to do with what the student accomplishes", they said.

Learning has nothing to do with what the TEACHER COVERS. Learning has to do with what the STUDENT ACCOMPLISHES.

For me, it showed the perennial value of Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.

On having positive expectations for student success, they said, "teachers that work together to achieve specific measurable goals, increase the likelihood of improved student learning. They operate with positive expectations for student success. Teachers are more effective when they are part of the team".

Teachers that work together to achieve specific measurable goals, increase the likelihood of improved student learning. They operate with positive expectations for student success. Teachers are more effective when they are part of the team.

Harry Wong gave a homework to all the attendees. He instructed everyone to download a guide from a website. The guide can also be downloaded here.

My Assessment

I am grateful I saw and listened to the Wongs. It was my first-time to know and see them. It was also my first-time to learn about their book. I never heard of them before even though I took education courses in the '90s for my teacher's license. I knew classroom management but their talk was an eye-opener for me. It confirmed me in my, now, chosen profession as teacher.

Mr. Wong repeated several times that although their examples were from American teachers and schools, the principles and ideas are applicable to Philippine settings. And I agree with him. I believe their book could be applied in Philippine elementary and secondary schools. I can even dare say, it could be applied in post-secondary technical schools like Dualtech - I believe Filipino youth tend to have an extended post-adolescence.

But I doubt if it could be applied in our crowded city public schools. Our public school teachers are already out-numbered, over-worked, and under-paid to get excited about this. Please pardon my pessimism.

Like in the US, their ideas are very appropriate to new and old teachers without education under-graduate backgrounds here in the Philippines. This type of teachers is already becoming a trend here, especially in private schools.

The event, I learned, was organized by Vibal Publishing and Catalyst, a student organization at the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P). Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) were their major sponsors - Kudos to the organizers!

It was conducted very elegantly, I must say. The venue was elegant: SMX Convention Center. The ushers, usherettes, and emcees were in their elegant best. It was so elegant, only the experts, among the attendees, could notice some unpleasant details from time to time, like the audio system's annoying feedbacks and powerpoint presentation sequencing lapses.

I missed the open-forum portion I'm accustomed of seeing during similar conferences. Two to three questions from the audience would have given the event an added uniqueness and relevance. But I defer to the Wongs. Perhaps, they can get more desirable results without the question-and-answer segment.

I marveled at the subtleness Harry Wong endorsed their book without explicitly saying it. It was Harry's reading of Dr. Edgar B. Tibayan's testimony in using the book that really made the crowd line-up to buy. Harry, at the end, presented Mr. Tibayan sitting among the audience. It was powerful! Amazing!

FOR FURTHER READING:
Teachers.Net Gazette
Click to view and download GUIDE for teachers and Administrators prepared by Dr. Harry and Rosemary Wong here.