Latin School of Chicago

UP FRONT 2013 RETIREES Gail Connelly-Baker Lower School Reading Resource Teacher YEARS OF SERVICE "Latin encouraged me to keep learning and growing as a teacher and as a person." 18 1983-2013 Gail Connelly-Baker officially joined the Latin faculty in 1983, but her time at the school began long before that. She often visited her husband, the late Greg Baker, a longtime Latin teacher and swim coach. Eagle-eyed historians will note that Connelly-Baker appears frequently in the Latin yearbook even before she began teaching there, often watching swim meets at the pool. "I think I was in more yearbook photos before I started at Latin than in all the years since," Connelly-Baker laughed. Today, Connelly-Baker is saying goodbye to Latin after 30 years of teaching, mainly in the lower school. She is responsible for implementing the school's reading resource program and, outside the school, has an established private practice teaching reading and writing to adults and children. L AT I N M AGAZINE Although already an experienced teacher, Connelly-Baker said that she will never forget her first day at Latin. "The school had arranged for David Purpel to give a workshop, and I knew of him as a real scholar and a very influential educator," she said. Seeing Purpel made an impression. "It was a huge change from the nuts and bolts approach of my previous schools," she said. Purpel was very philosophical and very spiritual, and I was amazed that the school would take the time for the faculty to reflect and talk together on these kinds of subjects." Purpel's appearance was an indication, Connelly-Baker said, of the school's commitment to faculty professional development and to the importance placed on intellectual stimulation. "It's rare to have the support of a school for continued education and professional development," she said. "Latin encouraged me to keep learning and growing as a teacher and as a person." Connelly-Baker sees retirement as an opportunity for further personal and professional growth – and for visiting her far-flung family, and tending her garden. She's also looking forward to more scuba diving. After recently marking her 400th dive, she has a new goal: doubling that number in the coming years. She will continue teaching in her private practice and would like to become more actively involved in advocacy for reading reform. "I'm not really thinking of retirement as 'retirement.' There's going to be a lot of activity," she predicted. "I have a lot of unfinished projects, including a book that's been languishing." Even as she commits herself to a new range of pursuits, Connelly-Baker will miss Latin, she said, particularly her colleagues and the classroom experience. "I've always loved working with kids to develop the culture of a classroom. As you form a community together, you develop inside jokes and a special language. There's a shared understanding, a shared experience," she said. "I'm really going to miss that."

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