Historian Kyle Smith wins Early Career Teaching Award

Teaching analysis of reality TV alongside early Christian religion is one of the many ways historical studies professor Kyle Smith engages his students at U of T’s Mississauga campus.

 

“His uniqueness in teaching is his ability to expand the material beyond the books,” said Hammad Khan, a sociology PhD and one of Smith’s former Christian history undergraduate students. “His use of pop-culture, art, literature and material from other academic disciplines in topics of religion make his lessons insightful and fun.”

 

Khan said Smith “teaches with clarity and challenges his students to think critically” and inspired him to pursue a career in teaching. “His influence gave me the direction and motivation I needed in my own life.” 

 

Smith is one of four teaching leaders receiving the first-ever University of Toronto Early Career Teaching Awards this year. They are:

 

Aarthi Ashok, department of biological sciences, UTSC

Kyle Smith, department of historical studies, UTM

 

This is the third instalment of the U of T News series of profiles on each of the winners (read about biologist Fiona Rawle; read about astronomer Mike Reid.) They are set to receive their certificates at the University of Toronto Excellence in Teaching Reception on Nov. 3 from 5:00pm-7:00pm in the Common Room at Massey College.

 

In this interview with U of T News, Smith discusses experiences that have influenced his teaching, including a Zen Buddhist monastary in the Appalachian mountains, The Brothers Karamazov and makeover reality television shows.