1. Taken from Harry Wong’s: First Days of School
Classroom Management
Taken from Harry Wong’s: First Days of School

2. Let’s start with…
The most important factor governing student learning is Classroom Management
How you manage the classroom is primary determinant of how your students will learn
It is the teacher—what the teacher knows and can do—that makes the difference in the classroom
Effective teachers manage their classrooms.
Ineffective teachers discipline their classrooms

3. Key Idea
The teacher is responsible for organizing a well-managed classroom where students can learn in a task-oriented environment.

4. What is classroom management?
Refers to all the things that a teacher does to organize students, space, time and materials so that student learning can take place
A teacher must:
Foster student involvement and cooperation in all classroom activities
Establish a productive working environment

5. Characteristics of a Well-managed Classroom
Has a set of procedures and routines that structure the classroom
Students know what is expected of them and are generally successful
Students are working
Students are paying attention
Students are cooperative and respectful of each other
Students are self-discipline and remain on task
All materials are ready and organized
Furniture is arranged for productive work
A calm and positive climate prevails

6. Task-Oriented
A well-managed classroom is a task-oriented and predictable environment
Both teacher and students know what to do and what is supposed to happen in the classroom

7. A Successful Teacher is Ready
The work is ready
The room is ready
The teacher is ready
Being ready everyday helps prevent misbehaviors and other problems from occurring.

9. How to Introduce Yourself to Your class
How your Introduce yourself on the first day may determine how much respect and success you will have for the rest of the school year.
Your reputation will precede you.

10. Welcoming Techniques Send a letter before school begins To parents:
Tell them you are looking forward to having their child in class
Ask them to put open house dates on calendar
Include information for materials needed on the first day
To students:
Tell them who you are
Invite them to call you if they have questions
Tell them your expectations

11. Welcoming Techniques Continued
Visit the home of each student before school begins
Introduce yourself
Bring the letters just described with you
Share with the parents how they can help

12. How to greet students
Stand at the door with a big smile and a ready handshake
Post the following information next to the classroom door:
Your name
Room number
Section or period, if appropriate
Grade level or subject
An appropriate welcome or greeting

13. How to greet students continued
At the door:
Tell them your name
Room number
Section or period
Anything else appropriate, such as seating assignment

14. How to greet students continued
Check each student’s registration card
If the student is in the wrong place then help the student find the right place
In the room have the following written or posted:
Your name
Room number
Section or period
Grade level or subject
Appropriate welcome or greeting

15. Why do this? It is now unlikely that any student is in the wrong place
Student anxiety level is reduced
Student will feel welcomed

16. Example of a self introduction

17. Seating Charts Tell the students about this fact upon entering door
Do not rearrange the seating after the class is seated

18. How to help students find their seats
Have their names on place cards on the desk
Have their names written on a seating chart transparency that is projected onto a screen
Give them an index card with a letter and a number on it, such as B5, A8, C3 and ask them to find their seats based on the seating chart that is projected. Do not use this method if you feel it will be too difficult for your students to figure out two coordinates

19. First Words
There are two major things you want to state at the outset on the first day of school:
Your name
Your expectations
Students want to know who you are as a person and if you will treat them as a person.
Pg 111

20. You will…
On the first few days of school, you will begin many of your sentences with, “you will”.
Your mission will be to establish student habits
If you do not, they will establish their own.
The effective teacher establishes control right from the start to prevent the classroom from becoming a breeding ground for confusion and discontent.

21. Seating Arrangements
The purpose of arranging seats is to accomplish classroom tasks.
Seats are arranged to coincide with the task you have designed.
Examples:
First day registration
Cooperative learning
Listening to a lecture
Class discussion
Story time
Taking a test
Etc.

22. Answer the following… What do I want to do?
What kind of seating arrangements are possible?
Which seating arrangement will I use?

23. Group Activity

24. Classroom-lecture, test, video

25. Classroom-story time

26. Class arrangements misc.
There is no one form of seating that should be permanently used the entire school year.
Change the seating in your room as frequently as you deem necessary for your purposes
Have seats arranged so that every pair of eyes will be looking at you

27. Seating Assignments
The effective teacher assigns students to their seats on the first day of school
Task should be a matter of seconds
Not up for class discussion
Reasons
Facilitates roll taking
Aids name memorization
Separates potential problem students