Danke Dallas!

It will be August 27th and for the first time in 28 years, Mr. Jacobs will not be on the third floor of Carey Hall. Mr. Jacobs is retiring! When asked what he will miss most from his tenure at Gilman, he stated, “Well, to be honest, I think it’s the kids, the students, and my colleagues as well.” Mr. Jacobs spoke to the meaning he derives from the personal connection with people in his Gilman sphere, and the importance of his role as a teacher, but also the lessons he had learned from his students, stating: “I hope I've taught them half as much as they’ve taught me.” One of these students is Teo Garza ‘26. When asked to give thoughts about Mr. Jacobs, Teo stated: “Mr. Jacobs is one of my favorite teachers of all time, and made this year in math super special for me. It's so obvious how curious he is and how much care he puts into making really tricky and creative math questions. I will always remember our last class, when he and Dylan (Moyer) got out their guitars and did an impromptu duet. Mr. Jacobs is a fantastic teacher, and an even better human being.” Another student, Benjamin Wu 27’ stated, “Mr. Jacobs has been my favorite teacher this year. He has been nice, understanding, and patient. This is not meant to insult any other math teacher I’ve had in the past, but Mr. Jacobs has been the only person who has made the subject content fun for me. Of course I’ve had fun math teachers, and I’ve had fun math classes, but I’ve never had fun math. [...] It's been a really great time in Mr. Jacob’s class.”

On the topic of his students, he used a word fitting for an accomplished math teacher, claiming the relationship between student and teacher is reciprocal. He stated his students have taught him how to teach, but also “how to be a decent human being.” But not only has he had a strong impact on students, but also teachers, Mr. Brooks, one of Mr. Jacobs' math department colleagues, stated, “What most struck me about him is his passion for the things that he cares about… He has a real strong passion for the beauty of a good geometry problem, and we sort of connected over that.” Mr. Jacobs also mentioned the concerning reality that awaits him without teaching and wondered how he will “fill the void.” One of these ways: music. 

Mr. Jacobs has always enjoyed music. After beginning his studies to become a lawyer, and realizing shortly thereafter he “wasn’t a very quick reader, and you better be if you're going to be a lawyer,” Mr. Jacobs began to pursue music. He attended a conservatory in Montreal for a short while, but found that this was also not for him. Despite his departure from the school, Mr. Jacobs still thoroughly enjoys music. Mr. Brooks stated in regards to Mr. Jacob’s music, “Not only is he passionate about what he does, but he’s passionate about sharing the stuff he cares for.”

In early November of 2024, he played a gig with Ms. Allen out in the town, but for this gig, he was especially nervous, for this was his first public performance since his medical incident. At the beginning of the school year, Mr. Jacobs suffered a stroke, which began a 9-month recovery journey. Mr. Jacobs stated, “it damaged my speech to some degree, I still have some moments where I kind of slur my words, and then guitar. [The stroke] affected the left side of my body, and I'm a lefty.” But through the hard times he persevered, saying, “I worked my [butt] off and got back”

On a final note about music, he stated, “music is a really solitary thing [..], so I'm gonna need something to fill that void of the social aspect of [teaching]. I hope I can meet some people at [jam sessions].”

Despite his long teaching career, Mr. Jacobs still has a youthful and curious spirit. He said, “I don’t want to retire and then be disabled and not be able to enjoy myself… I missed a bullet, you know – I kind of look at it that way.” In his retirement, he will at first take “a small break” from the Gilman community, then hopefully retain some engagement. On a final note, Mr. Jacobs left us with the quote, “Honor your own real desires more. Your heart knows what really matters to you – just be mindful. Don’t dismiss it.”