Congratulations to Religious Studies instructor Peter Sabo, recipient of a 2017 Faculty of Arts Graduate Student Teaching Award!
Sabo has been teaching for the past two years and has taught a variety of courses: Western Religious Traditions, Eastern Religious Traditions, Classical Theories of Religion, Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, and, currently, a seminar course on the book of Genesis. HIs specialization is in literary, deconstructionist, and feminist/gendered readings of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. He also studies the reception history of the Bible, its influence on contemporary culture (including pop culture), politics, and identity. This ties into his broader interests in the study of religion, which he approaches from social, psychoanalytic, and sometimes poetic perspectives.
Nominated by Ryan Dunch, Religious Studies Graduate Coordinator, Dunch writes: "Peter's "introduction to hipsters" class and his "unessay" assignment, for example, are ingenious and effective methods for connecting course material to students in today's university classroom."
And this approach is evidently working. Students rave about Sabo:
"I had the best time in this course. Peter Sabo makes this course. He is passionate, considerate, intelligent, and overall a welcoming and inspiring instructor."
"Peter is a pleasure. Amazing teacher, knows his stuff and always relates to the real world. He is so helpful via email or in person and always makes you feel heard and respected."
"I am so glad that I had the chance to be taught be Peter, I seriously think he has to be one of the most intellectual individuals I've had the pleasure of meeting and talking to and being taught by. I really hope I am able to take another class from Peter, he is a truly amazing, intellectual, and funny fellow and I know he is going to make an amazing professor for years to come."
Peter's peers and colleagues also have high praise for him and his teaching practice. Says supervisor Francis Landy, "Peter prepares meticulously, and has a capacity for making the most abstruse subject fascinating and playful .... He relates very easily and intuitively to students and their needs . . . . I can think of no one better to bring out the potential in students."
Bringing out this student potential is a conscious effort by Sabo. In his own Statement of Teaching Philosophy, Peter Sabo describes his intentions: "After completing one of my courses, students should have developed better the ability to ask troubling questions, investigate and interrogate what they conceive as the status quo, and have a heightened consciousness of the workings of culture and their own place within it. The greatest reward of my teaching experience has been to see students grow and mature in this way."
We wish Peter continued success in his teaching career.