On June 2, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Bill Cirone named Randy Hohimer of Vandenberg Middle School and Kathy Bibby of Santa Ynez Union Valley High School the 2011-2012 Santa Barbara County Distinguished Educators of the Year.
The committee—comprised of teachers, administrators, PTA members, and school boards—couldn’t decide which teacher to give the honor to, feeling both deserved to be recognized. In the end, Hohimer, a special education teacher of seventh and eighth grade math and science, and Bibby, an agriculture and biology teacher, tied.
Hohimer, a teacher for the past eight years, received an associate’s degree in marine technology, with certificates in marine science and marine diving from Santa Barbara City College; a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, with English Second Language concentration from California State University at Northridge; teaching credentials from Chapman University; and special education credentials from Azusa Pacific University. Not finished with his education yet, Hohimer is also completing autism authorization at Brandman University.
Going above and beyond the hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Hohimer is also a coach for the American Youth Soccer Organization girls soccer team and the school’s chess club advisor. He also conducts educational outreach at the Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve.
“In the classroom, Randy creates a student-centered environment in which each student is valued, engaged, and empowered,” colleague Becky Sausker said in a press release. “He is continually seeking methods, strategies, and techniques to draw in every learner. … His classroom truly becomes an amazing community—a community of safety, energy, enthusiasm, learning, and inclusion.”
Kathy Bibby—also no stranger to the world of teaching—has taught agriculture and biology at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School for 21 years.
Bibby received her bachelor of science degree in animal science, her teaching credential, and her master of science in agriculture from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
Beyond the classroom, Bibby has served as the advisor to the Future Farmers of America (FFA) since 1990. With her active involvement with the FFA, Bibby has received an Honorary American FFA Degree from the National FFA organization, as well as a Teacher of Excellence Award from the California Agriculture Teachers Association. Bibby’s involvement also extends to organizing service projects with the Santa Ynez FFA chapter, such as the Blue Jacket Bonanza, a program that raises money to provide FFA jackets to students who can’t afford them.
When asked what Bibby thinks is the most important message her students get from the classroom, she said, “They all have special talents and they need to realize what they are and expand them.
“Being an agriculture teacher, I have a unique opportunity to work with the students more closely,” she added.
Working with her students, Bibby explores the many components of her different agriculture classes, from field trips to job interviews. Bibby is able to help her students personally identify their strengths and work on weaker areas.
Much of the work Bibby does extends beyond the regular school day, from trips to FFA conventions to projects during the weekends. The experienced teacher spends much of her free time helping her students.
Bibby, however, isn’t daunted by the task: “Extra time spent with students gives them another adult to work with besides their parents and realize their potential.”
This article appears in Jun 16-23, 2011.
