Sarah E. Rhine, MAT, a psychology teacher at Sylvania Northview High School in Sylvania, Ohio, has been named a national winner of a 2021
APA TOPSS Charles T. Blair-Broeker Excellence in Teaching Award
by the American Psychological Association's Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS).
Rhine’s “drive for excellence both with her work with her own students, and in the value she added to [the school] faculty, school community, and among a broader network of colleagues certain made a profound impact,” noted Steve Swaggerty, a former Sylvania Northview High School administrator. Rhine “blended instructional practices to include the pace and rigor required for her students to achieve at higher rates on the [Advanced Placement (AP) psychology] test, and also more modern techniques that capture the hearts and minds of her students,” Swaggerty noted.
In her classes, Rhine makes her expectations of her students clear and sets her students up for success throughout the year. Former student Kai Richmond noted that “The meticulous degree of organization combined with her flexibility allowed a system of interaction between [students and teacher] to develop into mutual respect and success… AP Psychology became a class where we were all treated as equals and felt comfortable not only speaking in class but asking for help when necessary.”
Richmond noted Rhine’s passion for psychology and her competence and communication skills. “Without the passion, hard work, and competency displayed by Mrs. Rhine, I find it unlikely that I ever would have settled on psychology as my future career path,” said Richmond.
“Among Sarah’s many talents are her ability to make psychological science real and tangible to her students, as evident by their participation in studies of psychological science and in learning by doing,” said APA TOPSS Committee chair Amy Ramponi.
Rhine is a leader to both her students and her colleagues and has taught for the past 14 years. She has organized an AP Psychology Research Fair at her high school, which has allowed her students to show the school community their research projects relating in-depth aspects of their studies. She led the establishment of a comprehensive ACT preparation program at her school, meeting with students twice a year after school to practice the ACT and recruiting other teachers to work with students to improve their scores. Rhine has attended and presented at multiple conferences and workshops and also helped launch the Ohio Psychology Teachers Conference at the Ohio State University. She also participates in the AP Psychology examination reading.
For her commitment to her students and the teaching of psychology, the APA TOPSS Committee is excited to present this award to Rhine.
