Outstanding Teacher - Robert Tinkler

A native of Greenwood, South Carolina, I attended public schools there before receiving an AB degree in history from Princeton University and an MA and a PhD, both in American history, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the faculty at Chico in 2001, I taught a variety of history courses at Greensboro College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and Guilford College. I also served as an academic advisor at Chapel Hill.

I suppose I’ve been interested in teaching at least since I set up a school in my basement around the age of eight. I knew I wanted to encourage others to learn and to develop their academic interests, but I didn’t really know how to go about doing that.  (And I’m sure my one student back then would have agreed.) Fortunately, good teacher role models over the years – including two outstanding history teachers in Greenwood’s schools, Rebecca Johnson and Beth Pinson – have shown me the way. 

At UNC-Chapel Hill, I learned a tremendous amount about teaching from various professors, most especially from Peter Filene, a 20th-century cultural historian. For two semesters, I worked as a teaching assistant in his course on recent U.S. history; I also took his class on teaching history in college. These were absolutely wonderful experiences to learn from a person who cares passionately about teaching. Even today, I often ask myself in various teaching situations, “What would Peter do?”     

Since coming to Chico, I have continued to learn from my colleagues and students about what constitutes good teaching. With them, as well as with Peter Filene and my other teaching mentors, I share this award, and I hope to have the opportunity to hone my craft for years to come.