Brittany Tinkler has enhanced learning for hundreds of students at Rosa Parks Elementary in Indianapolis, both in her second grade classroom and the school at large. A former master teacher in the district, Tinkler brings her leadership and mentorship expertise to her current role. She is a strong advocate for project-based learning (PBL) and has helped lead its rollout for the school’s second and fourth graders. As a master teacher, Tinkler worked with all stakeholders to support students’ growth both academically and socially, providing one-to-one coaching, co-planning and co-teaching, and professional development. She helped other educators incorporate the kinds of effective, innovative instructional practices that she uses as a classroom teacher, immersing Perry Township Schools students in learning experiences rich with authenticity, curiosity and ownership. Tinkler planned and facilitated cluster cycles, field tested new instructional strategies, and led meetings with mentor teachers to grow the capacity of other teacher leaders in Perry Township, which partners with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET).
Tinkler has shared her extensive experience with PBL with educators around the country through professional development, conference presentations, articles and podcasts. She co-authored a chapter in a book about math-related PBL in elementary classrooms. Tinkler has brought community partners from the local zoo, radio station, rescue mission and fire station into her classroom, introducing students to a new world of career possibilities as they explore their interests. Her students have outperformed district and expected growth in both math and ELA.
With a contagious positive attitude that draws in students and colleagues alike, Tinkler strives to be a champion for all students. As a master teacher, she started an after-school running club and helped launch robotics and math teams. Tinkler hails from a family of educators—her grandfather was a principal in the Indianapolis area —and teaches in the same district from which both she and her husband graduated. Tinkler’s passion for teaching and learning stems from a very personal mission: to give back to the school community that helped educate her.
Tinkler earned a bachelor’s in elementary education in 2012 from Indiana University and a master’s in curriculum and instructional leadership in 2018 from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Press release: Perry Township Teacher Receives Surprise $25,000 Milken Educator Award, Hailed as 'Oscars of Teaching'
"I didn't choose education as a career — it chose me. My..." (read more)
2017 M.A., Curriculum & Instructional Leadership, Wesleyan University
2012 B.A., Elementary Education, IUPUI
