Adele Hinkle ’22 to Join Teach for America in Denver

Where will you be teaching and what subject/level?

I’ll be teaching preschool at Rocky Mountain Prep Charter School-Creekside in Denver. 

Tell us a bit about your job and Teach for America.

I have a two-year commitment to teach in Denver. I interviewed with multiple schools for different positions within early childhood education before choosing Rocky Mountain Prep. This summer I’ll be training with Teach for America and at the school. For Colorado corps members, the training not only focuses on teaching, but culturally responsive teaching. Starting in late August, I will work as the lead teacher in a preschool classroom while also taking courses through the alternative teaching certification program at University of Colorado Denver, ASPIRE to Teach. 

My roles as a women’s rugby captain and a resident advisor gave me the skills to lead and engage a larger group, while my classes taught me how to think critically and apply knowledge outside of the classroom.

Teach for America is an amazing opportunity for college graduates who are interested in education and supporting low-income communities. For people like myself who did not realize their passion for teaching until later in their college careers, this program allows students from different backgrounds to take an alternative path to teaching.

How has your time at Hamilton prepared you for this? 

Throughout my gap year and my time at Hamilton, I’ve had many opportunities to teach and work with children in and out of formal classroom settings. I got certified to teach English as a foreign language and taught grade school students in Nepal, worked at a summer camp, and taught at a preschool and at a summer school in New York City. This semester I have actually had the opportunity to observe and assist a first-grade classroom teacher in a neighboring town for the education practicum course. It’s been amazing to observe the interactions and strategies that I have talked about in my anthropology of education classes.

Not only has Hamilton given me these experiential opportunities, but my classes and professors have taught me how to be confident in myself and my work. I have grown into a leader during my time at Hamilton, both in classes and extracurriculars. My roles as a women’s rugby captain and a resident advisor gave me the skills to lead and engage a larger group, while my classes taught me how to think critically and apply knowledge outside of the classroom. 

Have any professors or staff influenced or mentored you?

Professor [Chenyu] Wang in the Anthropology and Education departments, as well as [area director of Residential Life] Neil Butler were both very helpful during the application process for Teach for America, not only by writing recommendations, but also by talking through my decisions and giving me advice. My education practicum professors, [Lecturer in Education Studies] Tracy Facchini and [Lecturer in Education Studies] Dick Hunt, have also been amazing educational mentors to have as I prepare to begin my training and start teaching.