Perseverance and determination fuel Jessica Parker as she uses her experience and new perspectives to help both softball players and students strive to be the best. Parker teaches General Biology, Advanced Biology and AP/Dual Enrollment Biology here at Hartselle High School.
Parker isn’t originally from Hartselle. She is originally from a small town called Hatton, Alabama. Most people probably wouldn’t think of Parker as a small town country girl, but she certainly is. While she lived in Hatton, she loved to fish, hunt, go to the creek and catch crawfish, work in the garden and so much more.
While going to school, she originally did not like science, but she soon realized in high school that she wanted to become a teacher. One of her teachers, Rebecca Lee, “always inspired her” because Parker “didn’t like science, but she made it interesting and engaging”.
She wanted to become a biology teacher because she “thinks it is constantly changing and new information coming out. You get to learn new things all the time.” Parker hopes to give opportunities and make Biology engaging like her high school teacher did.
Other than being an amazing teacher, she is also a fantastic softball coach. During her high school years she played softball, volleyball and basketball. Parker confides that “I think that I was a very hardworking and driven player in high school. I did not think that there were any obstacles that could not be overcome.”
She said when she left school she originally didn’t know if she wanted to coach softball, but the more time spent away from it, the more she realized she wanted to. Parker was recently moved up to assist coaching the varsity softball team. She says “the major differences have to do with the maturity of players, response to failure and pressure for success. The ability to cope with failure and respond in a positive way during competition is typically developed as a player matures and encounters a higher level of failure.”
Parker came from New Hope to teach here at Hartselle so she could be close to her family, and she loves the community and its Christian basis.
Parker tries her best to make biology fun for her students, and she will always be there for them when they need it. In her own words, “I like to think that I build relationships with students. I always try to give students multiple opportunities to be successful. I truly believe that learning should be engaging. I also try to be honest with my students and use real-world examples that could relate to them.”
Written by Emily Davis
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