Life in Classroom: Emma Baker is honored as town's top teacher

by Mark Jahne

Editor

Special honors often come to those who excel at a given task or career for a long period of time.

That’s not the case with Emma Baker. A third grade teacher at Woodside Intermediate School, she is still in her 20s but already earning top accolades. Baker was recently presented with the Teacher of the Year Award for the Cromwell Public Schools.

“I am incredibly honored and grateful,” she said.

Her class has 19 students. The curriculum features reading, math and science. “Specials” include physical education, music, art, library media and science labs.

“We have a new curriculum this year. A lot of the curriculum is very collaborative, problem-solving based learning,” Baker said.

Emma Baker of Woodside Intermediate School is Cromwell’s teacher of the year. (Brisson)

“We expose students to the content, let them grapple and explore. It’s a lot of fun for them,” she added. “We’re teaching cursive writing again.”

That skill, which many considered obsolete, was dropped by school districts all over the country because, due to computer technology, people do not write on paper by hand anymore.

But Baker said it is now part of the phonics curriculum because cursive handwriting requires a different way of thinking when the pen is moving from one letter to the next in a connected manner. Studies have found that this has benefits for overall learning.

Third grade is a time of discovery at WIS. Students are eligible to join a school band and chorus. They also have an opportunity to play music.

“They’re introduced to recorders for the first time,” she said.

Technology is part of the daily routine. Each student has a Chromebook for use in school. Baker is aware that children need to be protected from some of the threats posed by the outside world. There are numerous outside influences on their lives, including social media.

“I want my classroom to be a safe space,” she said.

Emma Baker was recently named the teacher of the year in the Cromwell Public Schools. She teaches third grade at Woodside Intermediate School. (Jahne)

Baker added it is vital that children feel they belong to the wider school community. Her students are young enough to have suffered only minimal disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They were in preschool when we were shut down,” she said.

Born in New Britain, she currently resides in Bristol. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a certification in elementary education from Central Connecticut State University and is planning to return to CCSU to pursue a master’s degree.

During her college years she had the opportunity to serve as a student teacher at WIS and is thrilled to be employed there now.

“I completely fell in love with the school community and the staff,” she said. “I love it here. It’s such an easy place to build relationships with students, families and staff.”

She was hired when a position opened during the academic year four-and-a-half years ago.

“I don’t come from a family of educators, except for my sister. When I was a teenager I worked in child care for my local YMCA,” she said.

That inspired her to work with children. One of the joys of her life is that Sara McHugh, her older sister, also teaches at WIS.

“She’s amazing, a really good teacher,” Principal Ramsey Binnington said. “She goes above and beyond. She just has a way with kids, always calm, composed and articulate.”

Binnington further praised Baker for creating a welcoming environment in her classroom and keeping her students engaged in learning. She has also served as an unofficial team leader.

“I am a new homeowner. I love gardening. I love to cook,” Baker said. CL