By Janie Magruder
GCU News Bureau
Whether a teacher has stepped into the classroom for the first or 500th time, mastery of student management techniques is as important as the three Rs, according to a team of experts on effective teaching who are visiting Grand Canyon University on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Dr. Harry K. Wong, Dr. Rosemary Wong and Chelonnda Seroyer, a 2012 GCU alumna, will present a training session, “Effective Teaching Strategies,” from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in GCU Arena. The event, co-sponsored by the University’s College of Education and Strategic Educational Alliances, is expected to draw 500 K-12 teachers and administrators from around Arizona.
Kathryn Scott, director of Strategic Educational Alliances, said Harry Wong is the “guru of getting new teachers off on the right foot” and the most sought-after speaker in education today. He has given an estimated 3,000 presentations to more than 1 million people and is the author of more than 30 publications, including the acclaimed book “The First Days of School.”
Noting that teaching is a big job in which small details matter, Scott said, “From that first day of school, teachers need to set the tone, the climate and the expectations, of course, in a positive, nurturing way. Dr. Wong reinforces that teachers must be intentional. They need to know what they are doing and what they are planning for, and it can’t be haphazard.”
The speakers will give practical examples of how effective teachers manage their classrooms to generate student success. The workshop is suitable for pre-service and veteran teachers, as well as those in special education and administrative positions, Harry Wong said.
“The single greatest effect on student achievement is the effectiveness of the teacher,” he said. “Effective teachers have classrooms that are structured and organized and consistent.”
Among the concepts to be presented:
- Creating an effective, successful school
- Using a first-day-of-school plan to start your career
- Eliminating discipline problems
- Writing meaningful assignments and assessing for student learning
Among his many achievements, Harry Wong has received the Horace Mann Outstanding Educator Award and was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Teachers Hall of Fame.
As CEO of Harry K. Wong Publications, Rosemary Wong develops the company’s educational books and tools, which are aimed at improving the effectiveness of teachers. She has contributed more than 100 articles to www.teachers.net.
Seroyer has presented with the Wongs around the world, and she has done keynote presentations for the International Center for Leadership in Education’s Model Schools Conferences. She has presented nationally and internationally for school districts in Puerto Rico, Hawai'i, St. Thomas, St. Croix and Canada, and she has worked with new teacher programs such as the NASA Pre-Service Teacher Institute.
GCU employees, alumni and students in the College of Education and the College of Doctoral Studies may purchase tickets to the training for $25. General admission, including lunch, is $60-85, and up to five professional development hours may be earned. Additionally, Harry Wong will sign copies of “The First Days of School” (on sale for $20). For ticket and more information, visit www.gcu.edu/HarryWong.
Contact Janie Magruder at 639.8018 or [email protected].
