Dublin High School’s Kim Baumann Honored at Rotary Club of Dublin Event

The April/May timeframe is traditionally a period when community contributors are recognized throughout the City of Dublin. On April 24, the Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees honored 18 such individuals with their annual Recognition Program. Those honored included, Certificated, Classified and Administrative employees as well as parent volunteers. In following with this theme, the Rotary Club of Dublin hosted their annual Community Superstar Awards at the Dublin Ranch Golf Course on May 15. OneDublin.org was honored to receive an invitation and the opportunity to report upon this event.

A hearty and hungry crowd of well over 75 people filled the dining room. Mayor Tim Sbranti offered a keynote delivery and the program was under way. The organization of this event was under the steady hand of Janine Thalblum, a parent of two children at Green Elementary School. The Rotary Club of Dublin has established six categories for recognition: City employees in the areas of Police, Fire and Non-Emergency Services, and School District employees in Administration / Leadership, Certificated and Classified staff were recognized. The respective awardees in each category were as follows:

• Police: Officer Channing Rhodes
• Fire: Staff Battalion Brian Caminada
• Non-Emergency: Julie Carter – HR Director for the City of Dublin
• School Administration: Rinda Bartley – Principal, Valley High School
• Certificated: Kim Baumann – AP Chemistry Teacher, Dublin High School
• Classified: Guy Rose – Maintenance Crafts Worker/Locksmith

Each honoree was introduced by a speaker. Some of the speakers were colleagues and most were their direct supervisors. The verbal statements were both succinct and spoke very clearly as to why the recipient was being honored. It was very fitting that some of the families of those honored were present. Of the six honored, only one was not present. Dublin High School teacher Kim Baumann was in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Why? She was touring the campus of Blackman High School and meeting some of her soon-to-be new colleagues, where Ms. Baumann will continue her career as a classroom teacher in Tennessee. Ms. Carol Shimizu, Principal of Dublin High School simply and eloquently stated during her introduction, “Our loss at DHS is their gain.”

Kim Baumann attained a B.S in Chemical Engineering from Grove City College in Pennsylvania. Thereafter, she earned a Single Subject Teaching Credential from California State University, East Bay and then an M.A. in Education from the University of Phoenix. She has been employed by DUSD since 2004 and she currently teaches courses in Chemistry (and AP Chemistry), AVID and serves as the lead Science teacher. While she is a beloved instructor at DHS, a life-changing opportunity was proposed to her family. Her husband, John, was offered a professional opportunity to relocate to Tennessee. He is employed as a Channel Distribution Manager with Hewlett-Packard. In addition, the move would allow both Kim and John to be located much closer to family members that are scattered between the Midwest and the East Coast. It seemed right and they acted, but not without some reluctance about what they were leaving behind.

OneDublin.org: What are the primary differences that you’ve witnessed today comparative to when you started with the school district?

Kim Baumann: “The physical changes are Dublin High School are obvious. Thanks to a supportive community, DHS has gone through an 80% physical transformation. My room went from a windowless room with one barely accessible fume hood to a state of the art facility with four fume hoods for student safety. We have moved from a model of some teachers working in isolation to one where collaboration is the norm. We also work through a model of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) in which teachers collaborate on curriculum. We use common assessments to obtain data so that we can improve curriculum.”

OneDublin.org: You are also known as a pioneer in “flipping the classroom” – recording your lectures and making them available online to your students. What other innovations have you incorporated into your daily work?

Baumann: “Over the past several years, I had noticed that some of the students were not paying 100% attention to time in the class and that they would not have the tools to complete their homework. So, I began to create videos to walk students through the process of solving problems. After attending a conference in Colorado last summer, I learned about a methodology about “flipping my classroom” through video technology. It has been effective because absent students can have access to the material and other students may watch the lectures when they are focused.”

OneDublin.org: Your classroom time extends beyond the school day. If often includes after school time and Saturdays. Why do you do this and what impact has it made with your students?

Baumann: “My mentor teacher at Logan High School had this practice because she said “Sometimes students just need a little more time to sit, think and to process the material.” I think that this is true and I also believe that students learn more when they learn through each other. When working in smaller groups, it has also helped to build relationships with students and many struggling kids benefit from learning in less stressful situations.”

OneDublin.org: Lastly, your departure from DHS will be a loss for our district. What would you like to say to your colleagues, students and parents that you’ve touched over the years?

Baumann: “I would simply like to thank everyone for encouraging me and allowing me to grow as a teacher. The students inspire me from their inclusive nature and enthusiasm about life. This community is so supportive of their teachers! The staff is second to none and they are always there to discuss ideas, encourage and to pick you up when you may feel down.”

Blackmon High School and the Rutherford County School District are blessed to receive the best that we can offer from Dublin. We wish you, John and your entire family the best of rewards on this move.

Editor’s Note: Kim Baumann was also honored at the DUSD 2011-12 Recognition Program as an honoree in the Certificated Employee category.