Educators are a vital part of our society and help shape our future leaders. While it can have its stressful moments, Jonathan Baker says there are also moments that make it all worth it.
“The most rewarding aspect of being an educator is being a part of that magic moment when a student grasps a new concept or comes up with an innovative way of thinking about a problem,” Baker said.
Baker teaches junior-level English at Stillwater High School. He is in his third year at the high school. Before that, he taught at Stillwater Junior High for nine years and at West Middle School in Ponca City for ten years before that.
The decision to enter the education field was one that was influenced by one of his own teachers.
“Mr. Patrick Daugherty at Del City High was my TV Production Studio teacher,” Baker said. “At that time of my life, my engagement level with school was quite low. Mr. D., as we called him, refused to be put off by my initial lack of engagement and my frequent tardies. He always showed up to class brimming with energy and creative ideas for video projects for us to work on. Mr. D’s enthusiasm for the skills we were learning and his determination to see his students succeed had a significant positive impact on the way I viewed my education.”
Jonathan has been given different pieces of advice over the years, but he says that one of them has been something that he still uses.
“Set firm boundaries in the classroom while being flexible to ensure that each student’s needs are being met,” he stated.
When he is not in the classroom, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his family.
“I have been married to my amazing wife, Diana, for twenty-seven years,” he said. “We have six wonderful children, three girls and three boys. Also, I play modern board games and coordinate a monthly board game group.”
