Wherever Judy Parker goes, her former students always recognize her, even if they don’t see her face.
“I was ordering food at the drive-thru at KFC and a former student recognized my voice,” she said. “She said, ‘is that you, Mrs. Parker’? It’s amazing when people, especially the kids who you have taught, recognize you after all of these years.”
For 35 years, Parker’s voice echoed through the classroom and halls at Twin Lakes Elementary School in Hialeah, and albeit she is drifting off into the sunset, the building will encapsulate her legacy and the impact she has left on thousands and thousands of students.
The longtime Miami Lakes resident is retiring on May 31 following a 40-year teaching career that began as a substitute teacher and took her to the same classroom she sat in as a first-grade student at Twin Lakes Elementary.
Her students, former pupils, family and the school’s faculty staff members will celebrate her retirement with a luau, a traditional Hawaiian party with entertainment, food, music and hula.
Parker, who teaches the 6th grade, said she will miss teaching students, helping them learn and reading to them their favorite books.
She said she always had their “undivided attention.”
“When I am explaining a subject to them, a light bulb goes off and they would say, ‘I got it,’” she said. “Over the years, I felt like I had an impact on the students who have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, dentists and even working in Miami-Dade Public Schools. They have been successful and that is the biggest and the best part of teaching.”
Teaching wasn’t even a peripheral thought for Parker as she was preparing to graduate from Hialeah High School until she read a book about a woman who taught underprivileged children.
Touched by the woman’s passion and drive to work with penurious children and bring them on the same learning tier as their counterparts, Parker decided to pursue a teaching career.
She initially worked with students at James H. Bright Elementary School while attending Miami-Dade College, and after earning her Bachelor’s Degree in the first-ever graduating class of Florida International University in 1974, she became a substitute teacher for six years.
She finally landed a permanent teaching job at her alma mater and was thrilled to be “be back home.”
“I have gone through many principals, many kids and many grades. I will miss my friends and children who still love you now but may not when they are in high school,” she quipped. “But they all stayed in contact with me.”
Teaching will always be a part of Parker’s life even while she builds a bridge toward her next career.
She teaches adults at her church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is pursuing a career as a genealogist.
“I still love to teach and working in the church,” she said.
During her spare time, Parker loves to read mystery novels, including those written by Stephen King and John Grisham while relaxing in her recliner, and writes children’s books, two of which have piqued the interest of book publishers.
She loves to listen to the Beatles and root for the Green Bay Packers. Parker said her father lived in Wisconsin and moved to Miami before the birth of the Miami Dolphins.
He continued to be a die hard fan of the Packers, famous for their Cheeseheads and the Lambeau Leap, and his fondness for the team rubbed off on his family members.
Parker recalls vividly the playing days of former quarterback Bart Starr, who led the Packers to the NFL’s first two Super Bowls, and is still a big fan of former quarterback Brett Farve.
“We wear the cheese heads,” Parker said. “We still root for the Green Bay Packers.”