Ronald Baer. He’s known by many students at Kennedy High School as an English teacher within C building. Some, such as sophomore student Charlie Silva, have described him to be fun, nice, and optimistic about his work.
His stories, jokes, and taste in the arts are apparent within his classroom. Silva even claimed his stories to be entertaining and that he seems to have a good rapport with some students. But what can they tell us about him completely? What was he like before teaching?
Baer’s story starts off after his high school graduation. He claims to have not been the best student but excelled in English and was always put in specialized and honor programs. Nonetheless, he wasn’t very committed towards school.
His ways didn’t make an improvement in college. Baer attended Queen’s college in New York City. During this time he was academically dismissed for not attending classes while on probation. After being kicked out of Queen’s, Baer attended the University of Buffalo for a semester and was also accepted into the University of Arizona.
Baer says, “I literally didn’t know what to do with my life; I had never been to Arizona, so I got on a plane and went to Arizona.”
At the University of Arizona, Baer was lucky enough to have wonderful writing teachers that helped guide him onto his path as a writer. Suddenly, his grades improved and he found purpose in the arts. This influence led to his double major in creative writing and film and TV.
From there he went to USC for a masters in Fine Arts (MFA) in theater. Originally, this English teacher wanted to be a playwright/screenwriter.
After graduating USC, Baer was employed by a production company that worked closely with comedian and Bad Boys star Martin Lawrence; however, he didn’t enjoy working as he said they were truly abusive and it wasn’t worth the work.
Meanwhile, he took on substitute teaching where he got his foot into the education district and genuinely enjoyed teaching. Baer claims, “It felt like a much more authentic life as a teacher.”
Baer expressed that his theatrical background opened him up as a person and helped him be open to things. His artistic expression, such as the drawings and music and film posters, allow students such as sophomore student Juan Gutierrez to feel comfortable and lets them relate to the genres within the class better.
Gutierrez commented, “The way he adds little references, like with movie quotes and stuff, makes me feel more interested in what he says rather than some of my other teachers.”
Baer’s story has had its ups and downs, but it shows how even the slightest opportunities can make the biggest change within a person and give a second chance to an enjoyable future.
