When Tyler Baker was younger, he knew he was destined to help children in some way- he just wasn’t sure what that would look like. Now, his childhood dreams are coming true in his new role as the assistant principal of Cato-Meridian Elementary School and the district’s social-emotional learning coordinator. In his position, he will support elementary students and collaborate with staff and administration throughout the entire district.
As a student, Baker attended the Hannibal Central School District. In middle school, he looked up to his principal at the time: Mrs. Danielle Mahoney. Mahoney is currently principal of Cato-Meridian Elementary School, and Baker will learn from her in his new role as the school’s assistant principal.
“Getting to see her as a student and now working hand in hand with her has been something cool, especially in these first few weeks,” said Baker. “I’ve really paid attention to how she talks to people and builds those relationships. As we know in education, relationships are one of the foundations for success.”
Strong relationships were vital in Baker’s previous roles at South Seneca Elementary School. He began there as a school counselor, then transitioned into the dean of students.
“I was able to know each student by name, know their backgrounds, and know their families. I want to get to know Cato-Meridian students and teachers, and their personal stories. When you can build those personal relationships, all of that resonates with me,” said Baker.
Baker believes his experience in school counseling ties into social-emotional learning. He explained that social-emotional learning is based on the idea that students look and learn through a different lens as they grow, and helps students treat others fairly and understand their emotions.
“The goal of an educational institution is to get students college or career-ready,” said Baker. “With the social-emotional learning piece, when the students cross that stage after 12th grade and go out into society, they can help themselves regulate their emotions, understand empathy, understand how people feel, and hopefully we can build a better society because of that.”
Baker is thrilled about the opportunity to work with students in pre-k through 12th grade and meet people in the Cato-Meridian CSD community.
