Science teacher, Micheal Bakker, has been a high school teacher for four years. He graduated from Highland High School in 1992, and he went to college at PNW (Purdue Northwest) where he majored in Biology for his bachelors degree. He also has a masters degree with a major focus on Ecology and a minor focus in Microbiology. At Griffith High School, Bakker teaches Biology, Environmental Science, and Earth Space Science. Before teaching at Griffith, he taught at PNW for two years. He decided to start teaching here, because he had heard that Griffith had the best students.

During his time teaching at Griffith, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced him to teach virtual classes via Zoom for awhile. Bakker stated, “I prefer to have it virtually rather then not at all, but I like having it in the classroom more.”

Before he became a teacher, Bakker worked for his family business, Bakker Produce, located in Griffith. He was the treasurer, IT guy, and a sales person towards the end of his career there. He stated he did every job there was to offer at one time or another. Bakker’s hobbies include reading, swimming, fishing, wasting time on his phone, and doing whatever his daughter needs him to do. He has two daughters: Summer, who is 22, and Paige, who is 18. 

Bakker said, “I might also be the best DJ who is also a teacher at Griffith High School, but that is debatable.” 

Some advice from Bakker to his students is for them to always keep their heads on straight. He tells them that if they keep looking back, they’re going to walk into a wall. He doesn’t want his students to waste their time regretting yesterday when they could be planning for tomorrow.