It can be challenging to keep a class of college students engaged. Many of us only attend because we’re required to, and some don’t even do that. However, adjunct EMU professor, Geoffray Estes, has managed to make class both engaging and informative.
First session of the second semester, in Finite Math: Logic and Problem Solving, Estes introduced the idea of set theory. Writing patterns of repeating numbers on the board, we learned they related to various juggling patterns. Eventually climbing to five juggling balls, the class watched in awe as Estes gave a live demonstration of how to juggle these patterns.
Intrigued by the connections made between juggling and set theory, it was easy to become more curious about what was to come from the lesson. It’s this type of curiosity students need in a classroom.
Estes first began juggling in the early 90s as an undergraduate at the University of Georgia. After seeing a group of students juggling on the quad, he became interested and asked them to teach him. They eventually formed a troupe, putting on several shows at different venues.
Receiving a Math Education degree at UGA, Estes began his teaching career in 1996. After moving to the Harrisonburg area in 2008, he has since found a full time teaching job in Harrisonburg City Public Schools, specifically at Harrisonburg High School. Not only does he teach Cybersecurity Fundamentals, Advanced Cybersecurity, AP Computer Science Principles, and Introduction to Robotics at HHS, he also mentors the school’s robotics teams, sponsors the CS Honor Society Chapter, and is a co-sponsor of the HHS chapter of the Technology Student Association.
On top of this workload, he teaches College Algebra, Pre-Calculus, both sessions of Finite Math, and Descriptive Statistics here at EMU. He’s also an adjunct professor at JMU and Blue Ridge Community College.
When asked why he teaches math, Estes responded, “Mathematics is an area that allows for creative thinking and problem solving. It is structured enough to help us solve complex problems in the here and now about our world, but also chaotic enough to challenge us to think outside the box and formulate unique solutions to abstract problems that will affect our future.” This was a lesson that has stuck with him for decades, taught to him by a dear friend no longer with us.
Estes has done a fantastic job in teaching his students. Despite his busy schedule, he still finds time to make connections with his students and ensure any questions they have are answered. He “[hopes] that all students who walk through [his] classroom door (or log in through Zoom) leave at the end of the semester with new levels of enjoyment and understanding of the subject matter that may inspire them to continue to take more courses in that discipline.”
His final word of advice: everyone should take more math, statistics, and computer science classes before graduating. It’s clear he has a passion for educating students and wants them to truly understand the importance of these various subjects.