Top 10 Educators of 2014: Amy Baker
Claes Nobel Educators of the Year
NSHSS is pleased to highlight our 2014 Claes Nobel Educators of the Year, presented to ten exemplary educators who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to preparing students for success in college and in life. These ten educators are among NSHSS’s student-nominated Claes Nobel Educators of Distinction program that recognizes educators who model best practices in teaching, are a positive influence for students and peers, and who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence in education, as well as community engagement. Since the inception of the Educators of Distinction program in 2004, NSHSS has recognized more than 38,000 educators worldwide.
Amy Baker
Marketing Teacher
Frenship High School, Wolfforth, Texas
Amy Baker has more than 13 years of experience in teaching marketing, business, and professional communication. She graduated summa cum laude from Southern Utah University with a Bachelor of Science in Interpersonal Communication and Marketing Education. Mrs. Baker also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Western Governor’s University. In addition to receiving numerous Young Educator Awards and Marketing Teacher of the Year Awards over the years, Mrs. Baker received the Beaumont Foundation’s Campus Award for the Newton Teaching in Excellence in 2014.
Mrs. Baker’s teaching philosophy is that the learning environment should be both educational and enjoyable. She reveals that it is a rare occasion to visit her classroom and find her students sitting silently. Mrs. Baker’s students can most often be found participating in obstacle courses to build and strengthen teamwork, interviewing local business owners, or engaging in interactive web conferences. She explains, “If students are able to find a passion and connect to their work, they will never see it as ‘work’ and will be able to learn from a classroom that is both challenging and fun.” Mrs. Baker has presented at countless conferences throughout her teaching career. She has served as the Student Teacher Supervisor, the New Teacher Mentor, and as a Curriculum Coordinator. Mrs. Baker has been a National Textbook Reviewer for The Marketing Teacher. She has served as the Frenship School District Business and Marketing Advisory Committee Chair since 2009, and she has also been the PTSA Faculty Representative for the past 4 years.
Mrs. Baker’s nominating student writes, “This educator deserves to be nominated because she has always done her best to teach her students, including me, how to be the best of the best. She teaches students to strive for success by working hard and never quitting even if something goes wrong.”