Challenging Concepts with Patience
As an 18-year veteran of teaching mathematics at college and secondary school levels, Christy L. Jackson believes in the Franklin D. Roosevelt adage, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
An advanced instructor and coordinator for the Department of Mathematics and Statistics’ recruitment and retention efforts, Jackson provides a positive classroom environment that is both comfortable and calm, while also being challenging and engaging.
As a result, she has developed a reputation among students that her classes are tough but fair. She believes students are more successful when they feel they have an advocate who believes in them.
“Christy helps students grasp the fundamental knowledge of mathematical concepts, foster critical thinking, acquire life-long learning skills, develop problem-solving strategies, and build the habit of discovery,” said Katie Young, assistant dean for undergraduate programs in the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology. “She not only teaches concepts but also offers relevant examples that make the potentially difficult concepts easy to understand.”
She makes herself constantly available for questions through email, Blackboard, or office hours, and makes each student’s success her personal goal. A recent peer evaluation stated, “Although she goes out of her way to provide extra activities, videos, and supplemental instruction, she still places the ultimate responsibility of learning on her students.”
Dawn Johnson, a former student who took Calculus I and II, said, “Ms. Jackson has patience, an approachable demeanor, and undeniable intelligence. Her patience is appreciated by any confused student.”
Jackson first began teaching at UA Little Rock nine years ago. She earned a B.A. degree, summa cum laude, in mathematics with an emphasis in economics from Hendrix College in 1990 and an M.S. degree in applied mathematics, summa cum laude, from UA Little Rock in 1994.