Medieval studies instructor sets milestone with teaching awards

Going beyond the classroom

As a medievalist, Reed's innovative teaching strategies make historical material present for his students. 

"I constantly reimagine classrooms and class time," says Reed. His course on Victorian medievalism is one example, inviting students to conceptualize a global phenomenon through a local lens. Using the city of Victoria as a case study, students of art and cultural history engaged with object and landscape research beyond the fixed schedule and place often associated with post-secondary learning.

“Dr. Reed’s passion for the material is evident and is infectious,” one student shares. “He takes concepts that are more twisted than Germanic interlace and makes those concepts digestible and easier to understand.”

Through that passion, and a gift for drawing connections between past and present, Reed makes evident the continued importance of medieval studies in a rapidly changing world: “Medieval studies is essential in the context of the global right’s misrepresentation of medieval history, stories and iconography to advance dangerous, ahistorical agendas. In an increasingly (dis)connected technological present, many desire origin stories. Medieval studies can do this—globally.”

Students in his courses gain historical knowledge, but, perhaps more importantly, they leave with a sense of why that knowledge matters.

Mentorship matters

Like his courses, Reed's dedication to mentorship and his lasting impact on students extends far beyond the classroom. In one of his courses, Carol Barbon, a medieval studies student, noticed that he "had an almost magical rapport with my fellow students." Although she rarely spoke in that class, she appreciated how he engaged with her classmates. 

Since then, she reflects, “Dr. Reed has become the professor I go to for advice. He has shown a high level of interest in my personal and academic growth, and I have grown from a student who rarely raised a hand to someone who fully contributes in class.

An authentic approach

As an out gay man, Reed brings his lived experience to his teaching. “My pedagogy is framed by authenticity. I bring my authentic self to the classroom,” he says.

This authenticity inspires students to do the same. For graduate student Alexander Wollfe, who previously completed a double major in art history and medieval studies, Reed’s intentional inclusion of marginalized histories in course material was crucial.

“I can credit Dr. Reed with my decision to pursue an Art History/Medieval Studies double major,” Wollfe says. “His openness about his queer identity and willingness to work with students to create an accessible learning environment enabled me to pursue the topics that would become central to my JCURA project, and my current MA thesis. He encouraged me, pointing out the need for queer and trans voices to be heard regarding our own histories. To this end, Dr. Reed has used his identity to create an inclusive space, empowering students to bring their lived experiences into academia.”

Previously recognized as a winner of the Gilian Sherwin Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching at UVic’s REACH Awards, Reed has taught at UVic since 2016. After ten years in UVic classrooms, he offers advice for new interdisciplinary instructors: “Create opportunities for students to reflect on and synthesize information individually and collaboratively—lecture should never be anyone’s default teaching method.