William Floyd Elementary/William Floyd Learning Center STEM Teacher Named New York State Master Teacher
Janine Baumiller, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teacher at William Floyd Elementary School and the William Floyd Learning Center, was recently selected to join the prestigious New York State Master Teacher Program, a professional development and networking community which promotes and celebrates the work of the state’s high-performing STEM teachers.
The New York State Master Teacher Program is a professional network of more than 1,700 outstanding STEM educators, counselors and industry leaders. She is one of only 144 educators that were chosen from across New York State, one of 17 educators chosen from Long Island in this year’s class and the only elementary school teacher! Mrs. Baumiller is the ninth Master Teacher from the William Floyd School District, joining a total of 206 Master Teachers from school districts across Nassau and Suffolk counties. With nine Master Teachers, William Floyd now accounts for more than four percent of all Master Teachers on Long Island. She is also the first elementary school teacher chosen from William Floyd.
“Earning admission into the NYS Master Teacher Program is a gratifying result after years of dedication to the sciences and the craft of teaching,” said Mrs. Baumiller. “To be recognized for not only my content knowledge, but also for my ability to adapt my instruction continually to have the biggest impact on all levels of students is a true honor.”
Mrs. Baumiller’s love and affinity for science began in high school, where she earned a Project WISE scholarship, promoting “Women in Science and Engineering.” She earned her BA in child study with a concentration in science at St. Joseph’s College and her MA in liberal studies at Stony Brook University. She has been a teacher for the past 24 years and during her time at William Floyd has chaired the Elementary Science Expo, has coached both the varsity field hockey and middle school softball teams, and most recently was chosen to teach and help build an elementary STEM program, in which she provides hands-on, project-based instruction to more than 850 students from the William Floyd Learning Center and William Floyd Elementary School, where she serves as a science ambassador. She has also been an active member of the community, attending sporting events, participating in the annual WFUT coat drive, and regularly donating to the local food pantry.
Outside of William Floyd, Mrs. Baumiller is actively involved with South Fork Sea Farmers and the East Hampton Hatchery in Montauk where she helps build oyster reefs to help mitigate impaired coastal ecosystems. Mrs. Baumiller and her husband, Sean, who is a social studies teacher at William Floyd Middle School, also farm their own oysters out east to help with additional water filtration and repopulation of indigenous species. Additionally, she was asked to help mentor a high school student from a neighboring district who is looking to enter the field of education. Through the Master Teacher Program, Mrs. Baumiller hopes to continue to spread awareness of the importance of sustainable aquaculture to other science-minded educators throughout the state and is excited to learn new STEM content and methodology from other esteemed Master Teachers.
“Here in New York, we are incredibly grateful for our teachers’ and counselors’ dedication to inspiring and shaping the minds of our students – the next generation of leaders in our state,” said Governor Kathy Hochul in a congratulatory statement to the 144 new Master Teachers. “Through the New York State Master Teacher Program, we’re recognizing the hardworking educational leaders who are helping us build a world-class education system here in New York for generations to come.”
Master Teachers are experienced K-12 educators with clear goals for further developing their breadth and depth in the three knowledge domains to provide the most engaging and most supportive learning experiences for students. They share a passion for their own STEM learning and for collaborating with colleagues to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders. Master Teachers are recognized for their dedication to providing the most innovative STEM education to their students, their commitment to professional growth, and their enthusiasm for sharing their successful practices with colleagues in their schools, districts and regions.
As a Master Teacher over the next four years, Mrs. Baumiller will engage in peer mentoring and intensive content-oriented professional development opportunities throughout the academic year; work closely with pre-service and early-career teachers to foster a supportive environment for the next generation of STEM teachers; attend required regional cohort meetings; and participate in and lead several professional development sessions each year. Through these endeavors, she will bring back insights and strategies to colleagues within the district and local communities, enhancing teaching practices, fostering collaboration and supporting the development of highly-skilled educators and counselors; offer tools and strategies to help students and their families explore future STEM opportunities; and mentor colleagues and pre-service educators, sharing expertise and modeling best practices to strengthen teaching effectiveness and promote continuous professional growth.
Mrs. Baumiller joins eight of her William Floyd colleagues who have already been honored as New York State Master Teachers – Kristen Drury, science, WFHS; Matthew Furlani, mathematics, WFMS; Victoria Hernandez, science, WFMS; Anne Ippolito, science, WFHS; Dr. Luisa McHugh, science, WFHS; Martin Palermo, science, WFHS; Christine Rosado, former WFHS mathematics teacher and current director of secondary education and STEM, WFSD; and Anya Swiss, science, WFHS.