Father Helped Shape Jon Baer's Classroom Focus
by Howard W. Hewitt
Professor of Religion Jon Baer doesn’t spend much time thinking about having earned tenure, he focuses his energy and narrows his reflection down to what happens in Wabash classrooms. "It all comes down to the fine young men we have here who embrace the culture, work hard, push themselves and are eager to learn," Baer said. "When you have students who have those attributes it’s a real joy to be in the classroom. When you have folks who are engaged and are wrestling with the materials and are eager to grow it’s easy to get out of bed in the morning."  Baer grew up in an atmosphere that placed a strong emphasis on education. He was born in Richmond, Ind., where his father taught religion at Earlham. But he grew up in Reston, Va., after his father took a job at Cornell University to teach environmental ethics.
After earning magna cum laude honors with a degree in history and political science at Duke, a master's in political theory from Queens College at the University of Cambridge, and his doctorate at Yale, he landed at Wabash College. Even today he thinks back to advice his professorial father gave him when entering college. It impacts him still today. " ’Look for courses you’re interested in but the key thing is to ask upperclassmen who are the good teachers," Baer said. "Ask around, who should I take a course with? A good teacher can enliven even the dullest material but a bad teacher can ruin anything.’ " He’s never forgotten Dad’s directive and tries to incorporate that thinking into his approach in the classroom. "In the classroom you build an expectation so that students know, ‘I need to be prepared and, indeed, I want to be prepared,’ " Baer said. "I think that comes from the nature of the material, whether it resonates with them or not, but it comes especially from the instructor." Baer has an interesting take on the difference between Wabash students and students at Yale where he did some teaching while finishing his doctorate. "It’s clear Yale students on balance are better by the traditional metrics, whether its SATs or academic background, though some of our top student could very easily compete," he said. "But Yale students show up with a powerful sense of entitlement. "There is a sensibility that if ‘I deign to show up for your class and do some work that’s at least a B-plus, and if I really work that’s at least an A-minus.’ I found here a really refreshing absence of that sense of entitlement. And what that means is you can really educate folks." Baer said if a Wabash student gets a C, it was probably deserved and if they listen a good professor will show them how to improve that grade and do better next time. "And that’s so exciting as a teacher because there is an enormous sense that you’re really contributing something to these young men." He also illuminates a common problem he and colleagues battle every day in working with students. "Even students who are willing to work, want to do well, want a good education are faced with a seemingly endless array of time-consuming distractions," he said. "From the internet, to video games, there are just a whole host of things like phones and text messages causing distraction. "All these things are supposed to simplify life and make it easier, in fact it’s having the opposite effect. I think it’s a huge challenge for educators because we’re asking students to engage in activities that are much more difficult than flipping through web pages. It is not instantly gratifying. It doesn’t give immediate feedback. It’s an indirect investment in their intellectual growth and future career."  Baer also believes engaging in student lives is a key to educating them and showing them a level of concern they seek. "We must convey to these young men, through our actions and words, that we care for them and we are here for their well being, advancement and growth. Whether in the classroom, meeting with the Board of Publications, showing up at plays or a game, we have to engage them in these various spheres of their lives. Then they in turn will bring better effort to the sphere we’re involved in. And I believe that wholeheartedly.
"When I get to know these young men and I show that I care for them, I may not be the world’s best teacher and I may even be a little dull at times, but if they know I care for them they’re going to bring a lot more effort to the table." Baer has been actively involved across campus. He is the Chairman of the Faculty's Committee on Athtletics. The committee works with coaches on communication and keeping students in the classroom on travel days as much as possible and still accomodating the athletic staff for long trips and practices. He led a group of volunteers to New Orleans over Spring Break 2008 to help with Katrina cleanup. Jon is a frequent spectator at Little Giant sporting events with his children. He also is chapter advisor for Theta Delta Chi. In photos: Top left, Baer in the classroom. Lower right, Baer with New Orleans residents during a 2008 spring break trip to assist the area from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
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