On Jan. 28, Dr. Caleb Smith was honored by the Mississippi Humanities Council for being named Humanities Teacher of the Year for Jones College.
“This award means a lot,” Dr. Smith said. “A lot of really great instructors before me have won this award, like Stacy Ruth, Kathryn Davis, and Tim Morris. I feel honored to be included in such company.”
At the ceremony, held in the Home and Health Auditorium, Dr. Smith gave a speech titled How the School of Popular Culture Unites, Divides, and Shapes Our Perceptions. Within his speech, Dr. Smith gave examples of Gen-Z words to show that they can affect more than just one’s thinking.
“My presentation was a collection of observations from the classroom as well as from life,” Smith said. “We sometimes use these elements as a social mirror to analyze inconsistencies and issues present in society.
“Yet these items are also learning tools. I teach a course about places I have never been to [World Geography], and I need source material to gain a better understanding of what those places are like. This is where those items come in handy.”
Smith is married to his wife, Erin, and they have two children, Bennett and Norah. Dr. Smith loves to travel. He is a devout member of Salem Heights Baptist Church and loves spending time with his family.
Smith worked in Adult Education at Jones for 14 years before teaching in the Humanities Department. He also serves as one of the administrators for Phi Theta Kappa.
His enthusiasm in the classroom strongly fills the second floor of Jones Hall as he teaches his subjects of college life, geography and American History 1 and 2.
Sophomore Josalynn Tisdale, a student of Smith’s American History class, describes him as a phenomenal and humorous teacher.
“Dr. Smith likes to add humor and trending phrases or topics to his lessons that will most likely get a college student’s attention. These also help with retaining the information he is teaching,” Tisdale said. “I can tell Dr. Smith loves his job through his teaching, and I am so glad I got him as my teacher. He doesn’t just teach but is also outgoing in activities around Jones. He is not just a good professor but also a great person.”
Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Julie Atwood, is the one who nominated Smith for the award.
“Each year, we nominate someone, and it goes through the Mississippi Humanities Council,” Atwood said. “They allow every community college to select one person to meet the requirements of the breadth of humanities and the great things they are doing throughout the humanities department.”
Smith was presented his award by Mississippi Humanities Council Communications Manager Rachel Lott, Julie Atwood, and EVP of Instructional Affairs Dr. Tessa Flowers.
“It’s the highlight of my year of a plentiful achievement,” Atwood said during the presentation of the award. “It was a great moment. Dr. Smith is well known and well liked by his peers.”
by Kaylea Rogers
