The Math Teacher's Toolbox: How to Teach Math to Teenagers and Survive

by Nicholas J. Rinaldi

Overview

Whether you are a new or an experienced math teacher, The Math Teachers’ Tool Box provides guidance and serves as a reference book of topics, ideas, and resources. This book provides teachers with various tools to improve their classroom management skills, to actively involve students in lessons, and as a result, raise their interest level and improve learning. The ideas presented have been classroom-tested over many years and can be used in virtually any middle or high school classroom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475803549
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/09/2013
Edition description:	Teachers G
Pages:	100
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Nicholas J. Rinaldi has more than four decades of experience teaching mathematics at the high school level. He has also taught “Math Strategies in Secondary Education,” a university graduate course in education for students preparing to be math teachers at the secondary or middle school levels.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1:On Your Marks, Get Set…Establishing Expectations

• Course Description
• Getting off to a good start

Chapter 2: Put Me In Coach…Getting Students Actively Involved

• Overview

Chapter 3:Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines…Opening of Class
Activities

• Overview

• Problems to introduce the next lesson
• Problems to review a previous lesson
• ‘Real world’ math problems
• Holiday problems
• SAT prep questions
• Brain teasers

Chapter 4:And the Children Shall Lead…Rinaldi’s Routine: Creating a
Student-centered Classroom

• Procedures and Materials
• Rinaldi’s Routine—- Student survey
• Cooperative Learning—-Student Survey

i
Chapter 5: Eureka…Inquiry Based /Discovery Lessons

• Overview

• Chessboard Squares

• Properties of Exponents
• The Triangle Angle Sum Theorem
• Finding the Equation of a Parabola from Data

Chapter 6: “When Will I Ever Use This?”…Problems in the Student’s World

• Overview

• Circle Graphs
• Scale Drawings and More
• Meanest Kid in School

Chapter 7: He Who Laughs, Lasts…Humor in the Classroom

• Overview

• Math Riddles
• Humorous Story Problems
• Math Jokes
• Wacky Definitions

Chapter 8: Calculate This!...Using the Graphing Calculator

• Overview

• The Open Box
• Shortest Path Problem
• Bones, Bones, Bones

ii
Chapter 9: The Pen Is Mightier Than the Calculator…Writing in a Math Class

• Overview
• Answer Completely

• Read Carefully
• Rapid Write
• From Top to Bottom
• Chalk Talk
• Exit Slips

Chapter 10: It’s Game Time…Classroom Competitions

• Overview
• Student Survey

• Tic-Tac-Toe
• Station-to-Station
• Bottleneck
• Who Am I?/What Am I?
• The Message Game
• Team Tournament

Chapter 11: All Good Things Must Come to an End…Closing Activities
Chapter 12: But Wait! There’s More…Odds and Ends

• Wait Time
• The Consultant
• Progress Report
• New Year’s Resolution

iii

• Assignment Sheets
• Self Esteem
• Monster Math
• Thumbs Up
• Test Time

Conclusion
Answers
Appendix

What People are Saying About This

John Ciochine

As a teacher-educator with extensive experience in public education, I found Mr. Rinaldi's book to be a practical down- to-earth approach to help new and veteran teachers bring a fresh and interesting perspective to teaching mathematics at all levels. A must read for all who want ways to engage students to be motivated in mathematics.

Clayton R. Hall

Nick Rinaldi is a very experienced master teacher who has arranged an extensive collection of student-centered activities that are fun and instructive - for both the teacher and the students! The book is easy to use and inspiring to read. It should not be in every library, but rather in the classroom of every teacher of mathematics.

Thomas Webster

Nick Rinaldi is not just an educator. He is an educator's educator. Whether his clientèle is high school students, prospective teachers or veteran teachers, his approaches to positive classroom management, student-centered learning environments and support for ALL learners are techniques that EVERY teacher should strive to model in their classroom. The Math Teacher's Toolbox should be required reading in any teacher preparation program and a resource for any math department.

Edmund C. Higgins

Nick Rinaldi shares the many strategies he has developed in his lifetime as an extra-ordinary and dedicated math teacher. His strategies are not only effective but supported by the most recent research on teaching and learning. His focus is totally student-centered with his goal being every student achieving success in the math classroom. The many and varied strategies he presents will enable teachers of math to engage their students in learning, understanding, and relating math concepts to the real world. A real treasure.

Editorial Reviews

Nick Rinaldi is a very experienced master teacher who has arranged an extensive collection of student-centered activities that are fun and instructive—for both the teacher and the students! The book is easy to use and inspiring to read. It should not be in every library, but rather in the classroom of every teacher of mathematics.

Clayton R. Hall

Nick Rinaldi is a very experienced master teacher who has arranged an extensive collection of student-centered activities that are fun and instructive—for both the teacher and the students! The book is easy to use and inspiring to read. It should not be in every library, but rather in the classroom of every teacher of mathematics.

Clayton R. Hall II

Nick Rinaldi shares the many strategies he has developed in his lifetime as an extra-ordinary and dedicated math teacher. His strategies are not only effective but supported by the most recent research on teaching and learning. His focus is totally student-centered with his goal being every student achieving success in the math classroom. The many and varied strategies he presents will enable teachers of math to engage their students in learning, understanding, and relating math concepts to the real world. A real treasure.

Dr. Edmund C. Higgins

As a teacher-educator with extensive experience in public education, I found Mr. Rinaldi's book to be a practical down-to-earth approach to help new and veteran teachers bring a fresh and interesting perspective to teaching mathematics at all levels. A must read for all who want ways to engage students to be motivated in mathematics.

John Ciochine

Nick Rinaldi is not just an educator. He is an educator's educator. Whether his clientèle is high school students, prospective teachers or veteran teachers, his approaches to positive classroom management, student-centered learning environments and support for ALL learners are techniques that EVERY teacher should strive to model in their classroom. The Math Teacher's Toolbox should be required reading in any teacher preparation program and a resource for any math department.

Thomas Webster

The Math Teacher’s Toolbox can best be described as a reference for the mathematics teacher. In it, Rinaldi shares the lessons he has learned after more than four decades of teaching mathematics. Full of time-tested ideas for successfully managing a high school mathematics class, this book provides readers with tips and suggestions for everything from grading homework to implementing group work successfully. The Math Teacher’s Toolbox also offers readers many good strategies. This practical guide could be very helpful to a new mathematics teacher or to a veteran looking for new ideas.. . .[T]his book contains enough solid information to make it a useful resource for any mathematics teacher.

Mathematics Teacher