Bringing a bright and enthusiastic personality to the science department, Erin Parker is determined to turn her classroom into a home for all of her students. With an intense love for science, she hopes to turn difficult subjects into a chance to grow and succeed. As Parker continues her teaching journey at WA, she plans to make the most of WA’s welcoming community and to develop strong relationships within the science department and with her students.
Q: Tell me about yourself, what are your interests and hobbies? What do you enjoy doing outside of school?
A: I love anything beach-related. I prefer the ocean, but I’ll really take any body of water. I recently took up golf as well. I’m [also] not a very good skier, but I will go skiing. My favorite thing to do is to refinish old furniture and refurbish stuff like that.
Q: How did your first day of working here go? Is there anything notable that you want to share?
A: It was very refreshing because I was really taken aback by how nice all the students are, and [how nice the] science department [is] too. The teachers in my department have been super welcoming and so friendly. When I worked at my old school, if I was walking down the hallway and a student didn’t recognize me, they would have never said hello. Here, students were like, “Oh, we haven’t seen you around. What’s your name?” They would tell me who they are.
Q: What are some of the goals that you have set for yourself as a teacher?
A: I teach chemistry, and it’s not really everyone’s favorite subject. I always tell my students on the first day, “You don’t have to love chemistry, but I don’t want you to hate coming to this room.” My goal is to build a comfortable, safe learning environment for my students where they’re feeling able to express themselves. I want them to volunteer to answer [questions], and if they’re wrong, then they’re not afraid to take chances and take risks, and know that no one here is gonna judge them for that. Another goal of mine is fostering the idea that making mistakes is actually how you learn. I want to help raise good humans.
Q: Do you have any co-workers who have been mentoring you, and if so, how have they helped you adjust to WA?
A: [Jenna] Hoffman is my mentor, and actually, [she] and I, years ago, worked together at Hudson High [School]. She’s actually the person who told me about this job. She’s been helping me out so much with the logistics about how things are at Westford [Academy], because it’s different from my other high school. I was at my other high school for 18 years, so she’s helpful with that stuff, like [showing me] where to make copies, introducing me to other people in the department, and really making me feel welcome.
Q: What made you decide to work at WA instead of other jobs which you may have looked at?
A: It really came down to spending more time with my family. I live in New Hampshire, and I was driving to Hudson, Massachusetts every day. It [took] an hour and 10 minutes, and I felt like I was doing many things but nothing at all. So when [Hoffman] had mentioned this job, I [hadn’t] been to an interview in 18 years, I said, “well, it might as well be good practice.” So I went just for the practice. I didn’t think I had a shot, but it went well, and they invited me back for a second interview. I have gained, probably two to three hours in my day with my kids. I needed to make a change, and put more focus on my family. I didn’t have any bad blood at Hudson [High School], it just ended up being too far.
Q: What has been your favorite part of this school and its community so far?
A: My favorite part is the science department room that we have. The science office is my favorite part because I just already feel so bonded and close to the science department. They help me out with things that I don’t know. We laugh in there. We share stories. I didn’t have that at my old school, I was very secluded, and nobody ever left their rooms. So that feeling is my favorite. And the kids, of course.
Q: How did you get into teaching, and what made you specifically want to teach chemistry?
A: I didn’t go to school for teaching. I double majored in science and biology at the University of Tampa, and my master’s degree is also in biology. But while I was at Tampa, I accidentally minored in chemistry, and after college, I thought I wanted to do research. My first job out of college was working on commercial fishing boats, contracted by the government, to collect data on fish stocks. Then, I ended up getting a job in toxicology research, doing research for different drugs that were trying to go to market. And one day, I just decided I couldn’t do that anymore. When I was in college, I was what they called a teacher’s assistant. So after the second half of my freshman year, my biology professor was like, “I’d love you to help me be my TA for all my labs.” So I did that [for] the remaining years, working through college. I always really liked the idea of helping my peers understand what they maybe didn’t understand. And so when I left the toxicology place that I was working at, one of my girlfriends was like, “You should apply to be a teacher.” And I was like, “it’s mid-August. No one’s gonna take me.” And she said, “So what, apply?” And so I applied [to] Lynn Tech in Lynn, Massachusetts, and they hired me.
Q: How does WA compare to other places that you may have worked at? What are some differences?
A: I’m truly impressed with the curiosity that I’m already seeing in my classes as I’m teaching. Also, I feel like kids are just involved. Nobody’s trying to scrounge for members for clubs. It seems to me that the students just want to be involved and really enhance their high school experience. One of the things that I loved so much when I was doing my interview [was that Principal Dan Twomey] had said to me [that] the building’s buzzing from seven o’clock in the morning to like 10 o’clock at night because you guys hang out here. It’s not just like you gotta go and check it off your list. To me, it seems like, as a newcomer, the vibe I’m getting is that people love to be here. And that feels really good. The other thing is it’s just so big. I feel like this high school is huge, twice the size of the school I came from. But the schedule is the same as my old school, the seven-day waterfall schedule is the same, so that didn’t take any getting used to. I love that WA provides an opportunity for kids to [have] a block to get their schoolwork done if they need it. The community feeling within the [science] department so far has been awesome. It seems like everybody really wants to have fun. There’s already talks about departments doing Halloween costumes. I’m very excited about that.
Q: If you were to travel anywhere in the world without any cost or repercussions, where would you go?
A: Well, first of all, without any cost, I would need to see the Great Barrier Reef and scuba dive [there]. Although, my favorite place in the entire world, oddly enough, is not the ocean. My home away from home is the Peruvian Amazon. Iquitos, in Peru, is my favorite place. […] I chaperoned a trip four or five times with some students, and then I was a student when I went for the first time. I would go back in a heartbeat. It’s magical. I have friends down there, and some of them have known me since I was 16 years old. It’s an experience that shaped who I am as an adult. It’s probably the reason why I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, because I had a teacher who was brave enough to take me and thirty other students there.
