Since arriving Kent in September of 1992, Mr. Hinman has taught every English course offered at Kent and served as the English department chair from 2008-2018. He also lived in the dorms for many years and has coached a lot of sports — all while raising his family at Kent and sending his two children, Charlotte and George, to the school. 

In the classroom, he encourages kids to try something new or “to head right for the edge of what they already know and ask a lot of questions and figure it out from there” because “it’s often the connections that people make among all the weird experiences they’ve had that makes them valuable thinkers.” 

Mr. Hinman is grateful for his students because they are, as he describes, “thoughtful, perceptive, and wonderfully supportive of each other.” It is his goal that students are proud of their work, admire other works, and look at literature in ways they’d never thought of before. The most challenging part, however, is giving students feedback. Mr. Hinman tries “to be both fair and positive, and it takes energy to maintain both consistently.” Teaching, as he believes, “is a utopian project,” “especially in a boarding environment.”

As we all know, life at Kent is much more than just academics. Aside from teaching English, Mr. Hinman has served as a dorm parent, first in the Schoolhouse and then in Case, and continues to serve as a study hall monitor once a week. 

As a coach of team sports, he understands that athletes will remember the camaraderie of the team and “whether the last kid on the bench was supported.” With adolescents who learn so quickly, it’s like watching a time-elapse, according to Hinman. 

The greatest joy, says Hinman, is when kids discover people and classes they love. Grateful to be surrounded by talented people who strive to do their best, Mr. Hinman believes that there are many ways to thrive here at Kent.