Ten Questions With Jessica Maddox

Photo by Sarah Rose Larson

Jessica Maddox always has a bright smile on her face. She’s patient and open to her students’ questions and feedback. She even brought chocolate to share with the Math 105 class after a joke about how chocolate makes students smarter. 

Maddox cultivates a peaceful and inviting environment within her classrooms, where students are encouraged to tackle difficult equations with an open and curious mind. She strives to help her students succeed and grow more confident using math in their everyday lives. 

Maddox is originally from San Antonio, Texas, but she grew up in Ventura, California. She has had a love for math and numbers since she was a young girl. Today, Maddox has over 12 years of experience teaching at community colleges. Although working at a community college was not her original dream, she has grown to love it and is extremely passionate about community colleges’ missions and seeing her students accomplish their goals. 

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background with math.

I grew up with a dad who liked math, logic puzzles, and games. He used to give me three-digit numbers to add up when I was like 5 years old. My family played a lot of games so I was part of that early on. I was good at math. And so I always knew I wanted to major in math, so I never changed. I was like, I’m going to college, I’m gonna get a degree in math, it’s gonna be great. I wasn’t sure about teaching, but I really liked my teaching experience in grad school, where they put me in charge of a class. You just start, they’re like, “You’re a grad student, teach math to other students.” And I really liked it.

What are some of the classes that you teach?

I’ve taught many, many classes at the community college level. I’ve been doing this for about 12 years. So Math 105, 111, and 112 are kind of the core statistics. Multivariable Calculus. Right now I’m teaching discrete math, which is Math 231. We talk about proofs and sets and a lot of logic. That’s a very fun one to teach. And then I have taught some sub-100 levels as well. We’ve got 50, 95. I’ve taught 98 a lot. I’m the course lead for 98 as well. That’s the one that leads directly into 105, so I care about that a lot.

Why did you choose to become a teacher?

I had the idea for being a teacher when I was probably 9 years old. In fourth grade, my teacher said, “Here’s a stack of papers. Would you grade these? Here’s the key.” And just going down the list of checking yes or no, it felt like I had the secret knowledge that I could share with other people. And it sounds crazy, because most teachers will tell you grading is the worst part. But I really liked it. I was like, this is fun. It’s fun to be the one who knows all the things. And I try to be nice about it, but I know a lot about math and so my job is making it fun. That always seemed like a good challenge to me.

What are some of your passions outside of teaching?

The big one right now is pickleball. I’ve been playing a ton of pickleball this last year as much as I can. It’s my most active hobby. My other hobbies are board games and crossword puzzles, and I read a lot. Usually science fiction (and) fantasy. I’ve been reading some nonfiction recently. There’s one called “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson, who is a comedic author. It’s all about the Appalachian Trail in the eastern part of the country, which I used to live right next to. So it was very interesting to read history and stories about people in a funny way. He's a funny guy.

What does a typical day look like for you working at LBCC?

Usually I am coming in the morning to prepare for classes. I might be adjusting things or making copies. And then I have one or two classes per day, sometimes three. But that’s a lot on a single day, because the actual teaching in the classroom is a pretty big energy drain for me. I’m very introverted, believe it or not. I stand in front of 30 people and talk for an hour and a half and it’s like a different part of my brain, but afterwards I’m very drained. 

So coming in, preparing, teaching the actual classes. Then there’s usually some administrative stuff, paperwork, keeping attendance, looking ahead to the next day. Often there’ll be meetings. So a variety of meetings and miscellaneous stuff fills the rest of my day. At some point, I have to think ahead to next term, where I’m like, I gotta get those classes ready. 

I’m teaching statistics next term for the first time in a year and a half. And the class has changed since then. There’s been state legislation about this class and what it has to have. So there’s some prep that I need to do. Also keeping an eye on my emails. I think this job (has) a lot of different pieces. I also get a lot of autonomy. Like the classes are set, but I could grade before class, or in the afternoon, or in the evening. So that’s really empowering. 

What has surprised you about being a teacher?

One of the funny things that has surprised me is how I have learned to remember students’ names until the end of term. And then they all go away, like my memory has been trained. You just need to remember these names until the end of term. And I feel bad sometimes when I run into a student. 

I would say that another surprising thing is how often I run into former students. And I never remember their grades. I never remember their academic work. I remember what they were like as a person. Like, oh, this person was so fun to have in class, or this person didn’t show up a bunch. Those are the kinds of things I remember. I never remember their name. Almost never. Those connections and the lasting impact has been a surprising part to me (that) I didn’t anticipate. 

How do you think students would describe your style of teaching?

I think students would describe my style as warm and enthusiastic. I hope they think I'm always willing to help!

How do you motivate your students? 

I really try to think about what they will need in life. And sometimes that’s easier or harder depending on the students, depending on the class. It’s really hard with college algebra to say you really need to know all the details of all of these functions. You’re only gonna need it if you go onto more math. That’s why I like 105 so much. Actually, I think it’s the one where I can make it the best case for you might actually need this, you might actually find this useful in your life. So that’s my main go-to source of motivation for my students.

Are there any role models you look up to in your life and why?

Over the past few years, I've been really impressed by Francis Su, a mathematician and author of the book “Mathematics for Human Flourishing.” His emphasis on helping students develop deep understanding of mathematical concepts really resonates with me. In part thanks to his work I've really tried to prioritize seeing my students as human beings, with their own goals and life experiences. Their identity as a student is just one aspect of who they are as people.

Is there anything else you’d want people to know?

I would say (teaching) takes more time than I thought. At a glance you’d be like, “Oh, you only are in the classroom 10 or 12 hours a week.” And that doesn’t sound like very much, but there’s so much around it, so many meetings, so many other things happening at the state level. Conferences with other colleges and schools. And that is one of the surprising things as well, I would say. Just like, oh, there’s a lot of other things. But at the same time, that keeps it fun and interesting because I have some level of choice. Do I go to this conference or not? Do I become a part of this group that meets five times a term or not? So I always say being a teacher is a great job and I love working at a community college. 

Originally I thought I would want to work at a four-year school, but I love being a part of a community college’s mission. It’s very important to me. So work that’s meaningful and I get to choose my own schedule. And I get to talk about math a lot. It’s really perfect for me. Whenever I take a survey that’s like, “How satisfied are you with your career?” I’m like, “Max, I love it.” 

At a Glance:

Jessica Maddox

Occupation: Math instructor at LBCC

Hometown: Ventura, California

Education: Bachelor's degree of science in mathematics, and two master's degrees in systems engineering and mathematics

Years Teaching at Community College: Twelve years

Years Teaching at LBCC: Two years

Classes She Teaches at LBCC: Math 50, 95, 98, 105, 111, 112, and 231

Other Interests: Playing pickleball, board games, crossword puzzles, and reading

Office: White Oak Hall, room 116 

Contact Information: maddoxj@linnbenton.edu or 541-917-475