Mr. Bob Baker

Bob BakerGeorge Luce MTA Representative

Both Dyer and Dracut High School Social Studies Department head Bob Baker agree that although the events of Sept. 11, 2001, may not have their own dedicated section in a teacher's planning book, the repercussions of that day do resonate with some students, while others seem disconnected or oblivious.
...
Baker said it is ,amazing

"I know if he ran I wouldn't vote for him," said Bob Baker, a social studies teacher from Branson, Mo., who admitted to knowing very little about Connecticut's senior senator.

"There are several people on my wish list that I'd put ahead of him," Baker said.

var requestedWidth = 0; > if(requestedWidth Don't expect any e-mails from Robert Baker.He still enjoys the give and take of a phone call or talking with his students in person. (Photo by Heidi Smith)if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.width = requestedWidth + "px"; document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.margin = "0px 0px 10px 10px"; }

An occasional series highlighting the accomplishments of longtime teachers who will be retiring at the end of the school year.

DRACUT -- Teaching is not a job for 60-year-old Robert Baker, head of the social studies department at Dracut High School.It is his life.

This fall, Baker will retire after 38 years of service in the Dracut school system.With his departure, future students will lose a wealth of knowledge and the school will lose a dedicated and dynamic member of its faculty.

"I'm really going to miss being in the classroom," he said."It's still a magical feeling being up there and watching the progress my students make over the year."

Baker graduated from Tufts University in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in history, and immediately took a position teaching history at Lakeview Junior High School in Dracut, where he discovered his true love for educating young minds.

"There was never a particular moment where I said to myself, 'I want to be a teacher,'" said Baker.
...
The most rewarding part of the job for Baker was the knowledge that he was impacting people's lives in a long-term, positive way.It was never about making money.

"The kids feel good about themselves when they accomplish something big and that makes me feel good," said Baker.

Although he won't miss waking up at 5 a.m. every morning or correcting papers all weekend, he will miss his daily interactions with students and the camaraderie with other teachers.
...
In 1994, Baker moved to the high school to teach 11th-grade history.Making the transition from junior high to the high school was difficult but exciting, and he said he was looking for a little change in his life.In 2001, he was given the honor of heading the history department.

"Mr. Baker is a very dynamic person with an excellent command of his subject matter," said Dracut High School principal Patricia Power.
...
Baker played an instrumental role in defining and addressing accreditation issues for the school, working side by side with the principal over the past five years on a curriculum-research committee.

Though the influence of technology has changed teaching methods over the years for some, Baker prefers a more traditional approach.

"I refuse to use e-mail," said Baker.

Picking up the phone, he waves it around.

"I prefer to pick up the phone and talk.It's more personal."

For Baker, it's important to stay connected in a personal way with students and their families, and the only way to do that is by cutting out the electronic middle man as he calls it.He even refuses to use a self-check out at the supermarket.

"I'd rather just talk to a person.It just feels better than talking to a machine," he said.

Baker will be remembered by colleagues for his passion and relentless drive, according to Hughes.
...
Baker spent four years as president of the Dracut Teachers Association and 12 years on the School Committee in Tyngsboro, where his three children attended school.

"I've lobbied, picketed and testified at hearings for public education," said Baker."I've become an advocate for education, something I never figured I'd do when I first started out."

Baker met his wife Ellie Pappas Baker, an elementary-school teacher, during his second year of teaching.