LIVBrd Redford 1 04-13-2014 0 Education B A 004 4 194820
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EDUCATION A4 (RL) SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2014 OBSERVER & ECCENTRIC MEDIA HOMETOWNLIFE.COM KAREN SMITH, EDITOR [email protected] 313-222-2098 FACEBOOK: HOMETOWNLIFE.COM “Chemistry puns? I’m in my element,” a Chem- istry Cat meme says. Kathleen Kitzmann of Redford can relate to that and more. She was recently honored with the top national prize a high school chemistry teacher can receive, the James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching. A teacher at Mercy High School in Farming- ton Hills, Kitzmann is in her 40th year of teach- ing, including 23 years total at Mercy, two years at Taylor University in Indiana and 15 years at Redford Catholic Cen- tral. “It’s sort of like the pinnacle for a high school chemistry teach- er. It’s incredible in that regard,” Kitzmann said. “It definitely sur- prised me,” she said “I’m absolutely thrilled and very honored and very humbled.” She’s come a long way since her high school chemistry classes at Thurston High School. It’s a field traditional- ly dominated by men and back when she started studying it there were not that many women in chemistry. “There’s more now, of course,” but there are still mostly men in the field. “When I took my second-year class in high school it was 12 boys and me,” she said. Even though chem- istry has always come easy for her, she entered college as an undeclared major. “I liked a lot of things. I didn’t know what I wanted to study for sure,” she said. Positive experience But after her fresh- man year in which she had a very good chem- istry instructor, she made her decision. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Taylor University in Indiana and a master’s degree in medicinal chemistry from the Uni- versity of Michigan. “It’s all that I’ve ever taught. I don’t even real- ly have a teaching mi- nor,” she said. She tries to instill an appreciation for any of the sciences in her stu- dents at Mercy, an all- girls Catholic school. “We have a strong science department,” she said. “We just want the stu- dents to not hate science, basically.” Kitzmann literally wears her love of chem- istry: She wears chem- istry-related jewelry such as pieces that depict elements or the periodic table – she even has ear- rings in the shapes of a beaker and a flask. She wears a color to match that day’s lesson, and she teaches about the water molecule with Mickey Mouse ears, because it has a similar shape. She wears hot air balloon earrings when she teaches about gas laws and she has a bump- er sticker that has “teacher” spelled in ele- ment symbols. And Chemistry Cat, the humorous Internet meme, is also welcome in her classroom. Her spirit of fun and enthusiasm inspires her co-workers. Lisa Schrimscher teaches with Kitzmann at Mercy and nominated her for the award. “It seems like teach- ers are the brunt of a lot of criticism these days. It is great to tell everyone about someone who does it right. After 12 years of teaching chemistry with Kathy, I know she has made me a better teach- er,” Schrimscher said. “She sings chemistry songs, pulls out dozens of moles for mole day, comes up with creative and fun activities for science club, and doesn’t shy away from teaching the tough stuff,” she said. Honored in Dallas Kitzmann received her award, which in- cludes $5,000, in Dallas on March 18, and one of the highlights was that one of her former stu- dents, now a PhD chem- ist at Shell Oil, attended, she said. She has also taught another student who is now a PhD chemist as well as pharmacists, doctors and nurses, she said. She stays active in her field and attends work- shops to get new ideas and presents at work- shops to share her ideas with other teachers, Schrimscher said. Kitzmann also heads the Metro Detroit Sci- ence Fair at Cobo Hall each year as a judge and co-fair director. From all that you might think chemistry is Kitzmann’s only interest, but you’d be wrong. She plays cello, piano, guitar and a little bit of banjo. She began cello and piano at age 10. “I always say chem- istry is my vocation and music is my avocation,” Kitzmann said. She plays cello for all the musicals at Mercy High School in Farming- ton Hills, as well as weekly at her church, Trinity Church of Livo- nia. She also started a band six years ago called “Chrome Folk Bar-B- Que,” which has now evolved into “Chrome Smoke.” And did we mention theater? She also is on the board of directors at Trinity House Theatre in Livonia. That affiliation start- ed in 1993 when she audi- tioned for a part. Since then she has worked as stage manager and assis- tant director among many other positions. Retirement is out there in the future, but for now she still enjoys being in the classroom. “I don’t think I’ll ever be out of the field. I want to still be involved with teachers and students somehow,” she said. “I think what I like best is being able to share my enthusiasm and my love for chemistry with students, and then see them when they have those light bulb moments when something makes sense ... when they are just amazed at some little chemistry thing we’re doing,” she said. Award-winning chemistry teacher has all the right formulas By Beth Jachman Staff Writer Kathleen Kitzmann explains a lab procedure to one of her AP chemistry students. She is wearing purple because the title of the lab is “Crystal Violet Kinetics.” Her lab apron says “Chemistry is just like cooking ... Only don’t lick the spoon!” Kathleen Kitzmann of Redford teaches chemistry at Mercy High School in Farmington Hills. Here she is pictured with one of her AP chemistry classes last fall. My
Transcript of LIVBrd Redford 1 04-13-2014 0 Education B A 004 4 194820
EDUCATIONA4 (RL)SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2014
OBSERVER & ECCENTRIC MEDIAHOMETOWNLIFE.COM
KAREN SMITH, [email protected]: HOMETOWNLIFE.COM
“Chemistry puns? I’min my element,” a Chem-istry Cat meme says.
Kathleen Kitzmann ofRedford can relate tothat and more. She wasrecently honored withthe top national prize ahigh school chemistryteacher can receive, theJames Bryant ConantAward in High SchoolChemistry Teaching.
A teacher at MercyHigh School in Farming-ton Hills, Kitzmann is inher 40th year of teach-ing, including 23 yearstotal at Mercy, two yearsat Taylor University inIndiana and 15 years atRedford Catholic Cen-tral.
“It’s sort of like thepinnacle for a highschool chemistry teach-er. It’s incredible in thatregard,” Kitzmann said.
“It definitely sur-prised me,” she said “I’mabsolutely thrilled andvery honored and veryhumbled.”
She’s come a long waysince her high schoolchemistry classes atThurston High School.
It’s a field traditional-ly dominated by men andback when she startedstudying it there werenot that many women inchemistry. “There’s morenow, of course,” butthere are still mostlymen in the field. “When Itook my second-yearclass in high school itwas 12 boys and me,” shesaid.
Even though chem-istry has always comeeasy for her, she enteredcollege as an undeclared
major. “I liked a lot ofthings. I didn’t knowwhat I wanted to studyfor sure,” she said.
Positive experienceBut after her fresh-
man year in which shehad a very good chem-istry instructor, shemade her decision. Shereceived her bachelor’sdegree in chemistryfrom Taylor Universityin Indiana and a master’sdegree in medicinalchemistry from the Uni-versity of Michigan.
“It’s all that I’ve evertaught. I don’t even real-ly have a teaching mi-nor,” she said.
She tries to instill anappreciation for any ofthe sciences in her stu-dents at Mercy, an all-girls Catholic school. “Wehave a strong sciencedepartment,” she said.“We just want the stu-dents to not hate science,basically.”
Kitzmann literallywears her love of chem-
istry: She wears chem-istry-related jewelrysuch as pieces that depictelements or the periodictable – she even has ear-rings in the shapes of abeaker and a flask.
She wears a color tomatch that day’s lesson,and she teaches aboutthe water molecule withMickey Mouse ears,because it has a similarshape. She wears hot airballoon earrings whenshe teaches about gaslaws and she has a bump-er sticker that has“teacher” spelled in ele-ment symbols.
And Chemistry Cat,the humorous Internetmeme, is also welcome inher classroom.
Her spirit of fun andenthusiasm inspires herco-workers.
Lisa Schrimscherteaches with Kitzmann atMercy and nominatedher for the award.
“It seems like teach-ers are the brunt of a lotof criticism these days. It
is great to tell everyoneabout someone who doesit right. After 12 years ofteaching chemistry withKathy, I know she hasmade me a better teach-er,” Schrimscher said.
“She sings chemistrysongs, pulls out dozens ofmoles for mole day,comes up with creativeand fun activities forscience club, and doesn’tshy away from teachingthe tough stuff,” she said.
Honored in DallasKitzmann received
her award, which in-cludes $5,000, in Dallason March 18, and one ofthe highlights was thatone of her former stu-dents, now a PhD chem-ist at Shell Oil, attended,she said.
She has also taughtanother student who isnow a PhD chemist aswell as pharmacists,doctors and nurses, shesaid.
She stays active in herfield and attends work-
shops to get new ideasand presents at work-shops to share her ideaswith other teachers,Schrimscher said.
Kitzmann also headsthe Metro Detroit Sci-ence Fair at Cobo Halleach year as a judge andco-fair director.
From all that youmight think chemistry isKitzmann’s only interest,but you’d be wrong.
She plays cello, piano,guitar and a little bit ofbanjo. She began celloand piano at age 10.
“I always say chem-istry is my vocation andmusic is my avocation,”Kitzmann said.
She plays cello for allthe musicals at MercyHigh School in Farming-ton Hills, as well asweekly at her church,Trinity Church of Livo-nia.
She also started aband six years ago called“Chrome Folk Bar-B-Que,” which has nowevolved into “Chrome
Smoke.”And did we mention
theater? She also is onthe board of directors atTrinity House Theatre inLivonia.
That affiliation start-ed in 1993 when she audi-tioned for a part. Sincethen she has worked asstage manager and assis-tant director amongmany other positions.
Retirement is outthere in the future, butfor now she still enjoysbeing in the classroom.
“I don’t think I’ll everbe out of the field. I wantto still be involved withteachers and studentssomehow,” she said.
“I think what I likebest is being able toshare my enthusiasm andmy love for chemistrywith students, and thensee them when they havethose light bulb momentswhen something makessense ... when they arejust amazed at some littlechemistry thing we’redoing,” she said.
Award-winning chemistry teacherhas all the right formulas
By Beth JachmanStaff Writer
Kathleen Kitzmann explains a lab procedure to one of herAP chemistry students. She is wearing purple because thetitle of the lab is “Crystal Violet Kinetics.” Her lab apronsays “Chemistry is just like cooking ... Only don’t lick thespoon!”
Kathleen Kitzmann of Redford teaches chemistry at Mercy High School in FarmingtonHills. Here she is pictured with one of her AP chemistry classes last fall.
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