Humanities Instructor of the Year: John Reeves
"I became a teacher because the world makes sense to me in a classroom."
That’s how Meridian Community College Social Science Instructor John Reeves describes his passion for teaching. Because of his dedication and work in the classroom, Reeves is selected as MCC's 2023 Humanities Teacher of the Year. The award is sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council and recognizes the contribution of humanities faculty at each of the state’s colleges and universities.
As the recipient of the humanities accolade, Reeves will present to the public his lecture, "Don't Throw Out the Baby with the Bathwater: Teaching Historical Truth in the Age of Wokeness," on Friday, March 3, beginning at 10 a.m. in the McCain Theater in the Ivy-Scaggs Hall on the MCC campus. A reception will follow the program. The event is open to the campus and community.
"I was completely shocked when I heard I'd been named Humanities Instructor of the Year. The recognition is thrilling, but it is also very humbling considering the high caliber of instructors working at MCC," Reeves said.
He explained that his lecture’s title refers to the rapid changes that have taken place recently in how American historical figures are viewed. "Some of that change is beneficial as new evidence comes to light and as our understanding of them improves. But there is a possibility that we will go from revering those figures, past considering them as mere mortals, to seeing them as one-sided caricatures (and frequently evil, at that),” Reeves said.
"As revered titans, these people can give us a common ground to unite us with our fellow citizens. Seeing them as human beings, we can recognize the scope of their accomplishments, both despite their limitations and as shaped by their limitations. This is a good thing, on balance. But as caricatures, we citizens are divided over whether the good elements they represent outweigh the flaws that all people have,” Reeves explained.
Reeves grew up in Illinois, living there until he graduated from high school, and came to the South to live and learn. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in history from the University of Mississippi, a master of arts degree in secondary education from the University of Alabama, and a master of sciences degree in geosciences from Mississippi State University.
"Three of my grandparents were teachers. The other was a farmer, which may explain my interest in geosciences. I have always tried to make sense of why people do what they do, and explaining that motivation to others has usually felt natural to me. Not understanding the reference or not getting the joke is an intense isolation that I try to break through whenever I recognize it, especially in others," Reeves noted.
His teaching career at MCC began in August 2006, and Reeves and have served as the instructor for World Civilization, United States History, Introduction to Sociology, Marriage and Family, and Introduction to Social Sciences classes.
Before coming to MCC, he taught at East Mississippi Community College. He was also a Weems Community Mental Health Center therapist from 1994 to 2001.
Reeves and his wife Aprille have been married for 34 years; they met while they were new students in Tuscaloosa and have been together ever since he said. They have a daughter, Emma, who graduated from Meridian High School before attending the University of Southern Mississippi, graduating in secondary education. She followed the family tradition of education and currently teaches English in Biloxi and is working on her master's degree in informational technology. Her husband is Stephen Sanford.
When he's not in the classroom, Reeves enjoys following college football, learning languages, reading histories and biographies, and following current events.