Starting next year, one of TMS’s best will be retiring. Who is that, you may ask? It’s Mr.Hinrichs! Mr.Hinrichs is an 8th-grade science teacher here on campus, whose class many have grown to love. He also holds Student-Venture in his classroom every Wednesday during lunch.
Mr. Hinrichs has been teaching in Temecula since 1987 and has been at TMS for 22 years. He has even been in the same classroom every year at TMS, except for the first! Before this, he taught in the Hemet Unified School District, at Vail Middle School, and his very first teaching job was in a little school right past Vail Lake, called Cottonwood Elementary School. His favorite food is a steakhouse dinner with a cold drink!
Mr. Hinrichs cares so deeply about all of his students. Every Monday, he makes sure to do Growth Mindset Monday, which keeps students thinking about how to be their best selves. After teaching for so long, he sure has a lot to say and teach students, not just in science but about the world. Here is an interview with Mr. Hinrichs!
‘How long have you been teaching?’
“All together 37 years.”
‘Why did you choose this year to retire?’
“It could be a long answer, but most importantly, my grandchildren aren’t getting any younger. I want to be able to spend as much time with them as possible before they grow old.”
‘What views have changed through your years of teaching?’
“So much has changed, like the view of the role of technology and education. When I started [teaching], the Apple computer just came out. Alongside that, another big thing is the ability to communicate with both students and parents through Email, and create a better way for contact and easier communication skills. Also, student discipline, not specifically my views, but the worldviews and the culture of disciplining a child, is so different.”
‘What advice would you give to new teachers or students who want to become teachers?’
“It kind of comes in a few different things. Always be awestruck by the 35 units of human potential in front of you. I mean that from the core of my being, it’s remarkable. The next thing, take joy in the fact that you get to shape that potential, which is an honor. And don’t dislike them when they act like children, they are.”
‘What was the main reason you wanted to become a science teacher?’
“I find the natural world so utterly awestricking, and to get to travel these mysteries with another human is such a fun thing to do, piece by piece.”
Mr.Hinrichs will definitely be missed, but we hope he enjoys his retirement. Make sure to wish him farewell! Are you sad Mr.Hinrichs is leaving? Leave a comment!
