CVCC’s Ingle named Excellence in Teaching winner
Andra Ingle
Catawba Valley Community College’s Early Childhood Education faculty member Alexandra “Andra” Earp Ingle was recently presented the college’s 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award for full-time faculty, according to a news release from the college.
Criteria for the prestigious award include effective and innovative teaching techniques, leadership and skill in motivating high quality student performance, effective communication with students and colleagues, support of the total college mission and service beyond the classroom. Candidates are nominated by students, faculty or staff and interviewed by a committee that includes students, faculty, staff and a member of the college’s Board of Trustees.
A therapist, consultant, and classroom teacher from pre-kindergarten to community college for the past 23 years, Ingle has been an essential member of the college’s Early Childhood Department for more than 13 years. During that time, she has been instrumental in developing curricula that enhance her students’ academic and career success. As a classroom instructor, she possesses a unique gift for making learning fun by crafting interactive classroom experiences. She focuses on providing students unusual opportunities to develop their critical thinking skills. But most importantly, she gets to know her students at a deeper level and cultivating more meaningful relationships between her students.
“Teaching gives me the opportunity to share my belief that educators succeed by building relationships,” said Ingle. “We must embrace our student’s diverse backgrounds and situations they bring to the classroom and to their future work settings. This practice models for them the importance of doing the same thing in their classrooms.
A lifelong resident of Alexander County, Ingle has played a significant role in increasing higher education opportunities available to Alexander County residents through CVCC. Four years ago, she worked on an initiative that developed a college cohort through CVCC for Alexander Central High School juniors and seniors. She teaches “life as a college student” courses to ACHS students, developing their communication, teamwork, self-confidence, and critical thinking skills.
At CVCC, Ingle is a member of the Faculty Senate, Instructional Council for the School of Academics, Education and Fine Arts, Early Childhood Advisory Board and faculty advisor to the Early Childhood Connections (student) Club. She teaches in the college’s Supervisor Leadership Academy for faculty and staff, and has served on numerous committees. She also works in the college’s Advising Center providing caring, accurate course planning guidance to students.
Ingle is a member of numerous professional and community organizations at the state and national level, including National Association for the Education of Young Children, NC Early Care and Education Professional Development Institute, Catawba County Smart Start Professional Development Committee, Alexander County Partnership for Children, and many others.
Ingle earned her master’s degree in birth-kindergarten education at Lenoir-Rhyne College and her bachelor’s degree at Western Carolina University. Before joining the CVCC faculty, she worked as a speech therapist for Yancey and Alexander County schools and as a pre-kindergarten teacher for Caldwell County Schools.
She is a member of the team that conducts CVCC tours for Alexander Central High School ninth grader and educational activities for Alexander Partnership for Children’s “Spring Fling.” She volunteers with the Alexander County 4-H, Alexander County Relay for Life, Tri City Baptist Church, and the Alexander County Schools. She and her husband and two children live in Taylorsville.
