On November 21^st, Karrie Rinder traveled to the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota to receive the High School Teacher of Excellence Award.  This year, the NCTE recognized 11 teachers from all around the nation for their distinct talent and skill in the field of education, describing the award recipients as an “outstanding group of teachers.”

Dr. Brewer says he nominated Rinder for the Teacher of Excellence Award because she is “such an effective teacher, in fact the most effective teacher [he has] ever worked with” and he considers it “a privilege to work with her.”

Although Rinder knew she had been nominated for the award by Brewer, she says her initial reaction to being selected was “stunned, shocked, and unsure if it was a joke.”  Rinder believes that being named a Teacher of Excellence gives her “more of a responsibility to live up to that honor” and thus pushes her to continue improving herself as an educator.

Mallory Williamson, two-year student of Rinder, says “she is profoundly deserving of the award” since “very few teachers are so effective at improving student work to such a drastic degree.”

Echoing a similar sentiment, Brewer feels “elated” that Rinder was chosen as a recipient of the award and that it was “so well-deserved.”  He says that having a Dominion teacher selected as a Teacher of Excellence is a “great honor” for the entire school and thinks Rinder has “set a high standard for all of her colleagues”.

Rinder says “we have a lot of teachers [at Dominion] who do amazing incredible things” but often go unrecognized.  She believes that “specific acknowledgement” of a teacher’s individual efforts is much more important than a generic complement since it “will always inspire and provide encouragement” that is greatly needed.  Although she does not consider her nomination as very influential on other teachers, Rinder thinks it is necessary “to continue to remember that teachers need specific praise” in order to stay motivated otherwise they will “burn out faster.”

Rinder has attended the College of the Holy Cross, George Mason University, Cambridge University, University of Paris, Yale University, Bard College, Don Quixote, and Instituto Cervantes. In addition to that, she has taught in several different states and school systems and holds numerous certifications within Virginia and the northeast. She is known for being an exceptional teacher whose challenging course expectations push her students to success both on the Reading SOL and the AP Language and Composition exam.