Marketta Parker, a Spanish teacher at Sulphur High School, has found the perfect job. The 14-year veteran teacher said she considers herself extremely blessed to be teaching a foreign language.

“People often joke that someone has to retire or die for a position to open, but for me no one had to die or retire.”

She came to the high school to take a maternity leave position and recalls the beginning of her career as “the perfect line up” between the welcoming attitude of co-workers and the students’ positivity at finally getting a permanent teacher in their classroom. “It was a great experience, just open arms and the kids were excited, too.”

Parker said she always enjoyed school and it was her high school Spanish teacher who helped her decide on an education path for college. “My high school Spanish teacher said, ‘You know, an educator is a very good job, a sturdy job, especially if you’re a single woman. You make enough money to where you can be independent and on your own.”

Parker initially considered teaching English, but “didn’t want to read all the papers and grade them,” she said, laughing. “I’ve always liked Spanish and thought it wold something unique and also good for job security.”

One of her greatest influences in the field was her own high school math teacher at Westlake High School, Keith Guidry. Admittedly, Parker wasn’t great at math, yet Guidry helped her push through.

“When I took a very advanced math class, I actually failed it. I didn’t get credit. But Mr. Guidry said, ‘You’re one of my hardest workers.’ It’s just that the math thing never clicked but he was always very motivational. He was one of those teachers that shows you can have a good rapport and relationship with your students.”

Parker said she draws on Guidry’s example in her classroom. “That’s how I want to be with my own students — have a good relationship. He still had his rules. I have the same thing but I always try to make my classroom engaging so that the students want to come to class.”

One of her favorite things about teaching Spanish is the real-world application that students quickly realize.

“Sometimes they’ll say, ‘Senorita Parker, I was in Walmart and I heard these people speaking Spanish and I could kind of hear and understand them. It’s just the excitement of seeing it click,” she said.

“In my class, everything we learn from day one you can go out and use it in the real world.”

One thing she doesn’t care for in the job is the over-emphasis on testing, she said.

“So much of my instructional time is sucked up by standardized tests. They get so frazzled by it or some kids know they’ve already passed one so they don’t have to pass the other.”

A better remedy than focusing on the test would be to focus on thinking skills, she said. “It’s like I don’t want to teach you the test. I’m teaching you how to think.”

If given the chance to make one wish in the teaching field, Parker said she wishes all teachers had greater autonomy in their classrooms. “We’re all so pigeon-held to focus on the test it’s almost like you’re clipping teachers wings.”

Though there is room for improvement, Parker said she’s extremely happy to have reached her personal goal of being bi-lingual and is now able to share the skill with others. When she’s not teaching, Parker researches new tools for her classroom, traveling and keeping up with her Spanish-speaking friends to keep her skills sharp.