Parent Profile: Ryne and Katherine Pinkston

Photo by Darrin Phegley

Tell us a little about yourself.

We’ve been married since June 2018, and we are both educators in the Henderson County School system. We have one son, Jack, who is three, and another baby on the way. We have a miniature wiener dog, Mossi, and a cat, Ziggy.

What do you both do for a living and how long have you been in those positions? 

Katherine: I am a fifth-grade teacher at Spottsville Elementary School. I have been a teacher for nine years, and I am starting my fifth year in Henderson! 

Ryne: I am a physical education teacher and athletic director at North Middle School. I have been a teacher for nine years, and I am starting my fifth year in Henderson, too.

Did you both know from an early age you wanted to be educators? If so, was there anyone who inspired you to follow this path? 

Katherine: I fell in love with being in the classroom when I was in eighth grade at South Middle School in Mrs. Emily Morton’s arts and humanities class. She made learning so fun and engaging. I wanted to be just like her! I decided to pursue my teaching degree at the University of Evansville where I had two amazing professors, Dr. Sharon Gieselmann and Ms. Patricia Taylor, who both, respectfully instilled their passion for teaching in me. I am so blessed to have had these and other wonderful role models throughout my education. 

Ryne: Absolutely! My mother had an instrumental part in my pursuit of education.  She taught for 30 years as an elementary teacher at both Smith Mills and Bend Gate.  I can’t even tell you the number of times we got stopped, and I heard complete strangers talking to my mom about the impact she had on their children.  Seeing the impact my mother had and knowing the impact educators like Mrs. Cabell who I had in third grade at East Heights Elementary and Nathan Isenberg my baseball coach at HCHS had on me throughout my years in the Henderson County School system definitely inspired me to pursue this path.  

Outside of working within the school system, what hobbies does your family enjoy? 

We love to travel, go to parks/playgrounds, exercise, read, watch sports, and spend time with our families.

What do you enjoy most about being teachers within our community? 

Katherine: I love being able to form new connections with coworkers, parents, and students in the community where I was born and raised. It’s definitely rewarding to have chosen to stay in Henderson and endeavor to continue to pay forward a love for learning.

Ryne: What I enjoy most about being a teacher in this community is the opportunity to give back to a community that I love.  I’ve always loved Henderson and the people in it. It’s a special place and it’s been awesome to see Henderson to continue to develop into a place that people want to invest into and grow. I hope to inspire that same love for our community!

How do you find balance between work and family? 

We try to be intentional about scheduling time with family each week. We plan in advance and make sure our work is complete before leaving school for the day. It’s important to us, especially with kids, that we are focused on the present. We also tag team if one of us has an event to be at for our school.

What advice would you give to those students interested in becoming a teacher someday? 

Katherine: You must have a passion for teaching and kids so that, in the end, it’s a win-win situation for both the would-be teacher and his/her future students. Nothing beats seeing a student excel and knowing you’ve been a part of it!

Ryne: Be flexible; no day is the same when you’re in education.  It’s what makes the job such a fun challenge.  Also, don’t be too hard on yourself if you have a bad day where nothing seems to go right.  Get back to the drawing board and try again the next day!