Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities: Alexis Parker Educates for Change

• • Alexis Parker is an educator who is passionate about literature and the journey of self-discovery. 
  • Finding herself lost through medical school, she found where her heart belongs in education. 
  • Alexis loves the different perspectives authors bring to each piece of literature. 
  • She enjoys doing what she does in educating youth, as it feels like it was what she was meant to do.

1. What was your childhood like, and how did you think it made you the person you are today?

I grew up with a single mother and had an older sister and a younger brother. My mom has bipolar disorder, so it was not usual to navigate for a child growing up. I grew up in a small town in California, and we mostly stayed very close to each other. We called ourselves the “Ferris Four” because that was my mom’s maiden name. We grew up close to my grandmother, who would take care of us after school.

My childhood had a lot of obstacles: my mom had an addiction problem and was undiagnosed for a long time. My father was not in the picture very often, and I kind of found myself diving into my studies and books to get an escape. I would write a lot, so I think that made me feel this love for education and reading as an avenue to escape from our household problems.

2. What inspired you to pursue a career in education, and how did you decide to specialize in your particular subject area?

It came from a panic attack. I was at an AMSA (American Medical Student Association) conference at UC Davis and I was going through all these picture panels. I went through two panels: the first one was about being a doctor first and a family person second. I knew that I always wanted to have a family, and I wanted to be a typical soccer mom. So I was like maybe I could be that person that can be a great doctor and a fantastic soccer mom. I felt a bit rocky after that panel. But the one right after that was about losing your first patient, and I was like “No, no, no.”

I remember I had a full-blown panic attack in that panel. People would die because of me? The idea that one wrong decision can lead to somebody’s death was the worst thing I could ever think of in life. I got out of the panel and I was hyperventilating. I realized I didn’t want to become a doctor anymore. As soon as I did, my grandma’s words passed through my head. She always knew that I was going to be a teacher. It sounds really weird, but I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders after knowing that I wanted to be a teacher.

The moment that I switched, I felt my life falling into place. I remember studying long hours as a medical student and I never enjoyed any of the studying. Then when I switched majors, I was still studying long hours, but I enjoyed it. It was clear in my head that it was what I was going to do and it has been clear ever since. That was 12 years ago.

3. How do you typically start your day to have a more productive journey throughout?

I battle my ADHD a lot. I start my day with my son—he is quite the mama’s boy, so he likes hugs and kisses from me in the morning. That helps set me off to the right rhythm. So I get him up, I make breakfast, I drink coffee, which I limit to one cup a day now.

I dive into self-work and stuff in the morning too. I journal every morning to make sure I’m in a place that’s grounded and regulated. I work with teenagers who are often all over the place and I have started to become known as the teacher who you can come to with things. I always need to ensure I’m pretty centered when I go and have my students share their lows with me.

4. You’re passionate about education, what is the one thing that is changing in this sector that excites you?

Right now, California has decided not to ban any books. That excites me very much because I don’t like to have limitations on the books that I read. The books that I read with my students often are mature. I read The Bluest Eye (by Toni Morrison)  with them, which deals with childhood trauma and sexual abuse, I read There, There (by Tommy Orange) which has an excerpt of a mass shooting of indigenous people– but I do these things for a reason, and for every book that I choose, I choose with care as it opens up a lot of hard conversations.

I’m excited to be able to bring different kinds of books. I like to bring the deep cuts, the stuff that most people wouldn’t read. I think it does a lot for students, which excites me that California doesn’t have book bans like many other states, meaning more freedom of literature.

5. What is the one thing you would like to implement within the education sector to bring change?

I grew up in Central California. It’s a very conservative county, with a lot of conservative values. I read a lot of the classics, but we did not read a lot of authors of color, or women authors. That is something that I’m looking to bring in.

One, I didn’t have my first black teacher until I was in college. So I think it’s very exciting to be that face and show that it’s a possibility. Two, I make sure that my classroom has rules. I don’t teach any white male authors– not because I think they’re awful– but because I think they’re oversaturated. Bringing in these different perspectives and these balances of mirrors and windows where the students can see themselves– but see another different perspective of a culture they don’t know.

6. Can you share a significant moment or experience in your teaching journey where you felt this philosophy was particularly relevant or impactful?

One that was recent that I thought was pretty important. I read The Bluest Eye for students. Right now I’m at a private school– two years ago when I got into this private school, I didn’t think I would face the same problems in public school.

I work hard to create an environment where you can just talk about anything, as cliche as it sounds, but like a family. So I got into this private school and I’m teaching The Bluest Eye and this student comes up to me and asks if they could talk to me. This student said: “This book very much resonates with me a lot. And I think it resonates with you too.” from there, they began to tell me about their experience with sexual abuse.

I realized this is why we do what we do. This is why we read the difficult books, and have the conversations we have with students so they can feel that safety. So, we went to the student affairs office together and held their hand through all the different stuff. They’re doing so much better now, and it turns out, it has been going on for years. Faulkner and Hemmingway don’t talk about that.

7. What advice would you give to students or aspiring educators who are passionate about pursuing a career in education?

Education is hard. It takes a lot out of you. Even when you are already out of the classroom or school, you’re still not done.  You can write everything on the board, you can explain it, you can have another student explain it, then thirty seconds later you get: “What are we doing?”. After a while, answering all those questions all the time and making decisions for people gets you exhausted at the end of the day.

The kind of exhaustion that I get from teaching is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, so my advice to young educators is you need to make sure that you have a self-care plan in existence. The hard things, journaling your feelings, and how you process your triggers. What they went through is stuff that you went through when you were young that you didn’t fully process through, so you get these emotional flashbacks.

It’s hard work. You have to make sure you have things in place that can help you process through that. Create boundaries around work, make sure you get out in nature, and sometimes take your class outside. These things are necessary for educators, to make sure you don’t completely lose yourself.

8. Would you mind sharing a bit about who or what has played a significant role in your journey into your career in education?

My high school English teacher, Mr. Roehl, was “weird” in the best way. He made us walk in the rain and go back to class to write poetry. It was so weird because first of all, teachers never took us out of class. He was one of the first teachers who pointed out that I have a good mind. I’m still friends with him today, we talk all the time, and he has a major influence on how I am in the classroom.

My second mentor, his name is Ryan Skinnell, from graduate school. He has a major influence on how I run my classroom. He would do roll calls, and genuinely ask people how they’re doing. He always said: “If it takes me 30-40 minutes doing roll calls, then it’s time well spent.” And it was! He saw you as a person instead of just a student. I grew a lot in that class. That influenced how I am and how I run my classroom.

9. What is a quote/mantra that resonates with you?

I have one for my classrooms that I teach my students to point they have memorized. “Your peers are your resources and not adversaries.” That’s really big in my classroom and it has been a mantra that stuck with me throughout my 7 years of teaching career.

The second one is: “Your grades do not equal your self-worth.” I transfer that into myself as: “Your productivity does not equal your self-worth.” I think that’s something we need to hear and internalize ourselves.

Alexis Parker is an educator with a passion for appreciating new perspectives and values. Through teaching literature, Alexis provides a safe space for her students to be open about their struggles. She is passionate about bringing positive change to the education system and is admirable for her work. Alexis strives to support her self-growth and cultivate more self-value, encouraging others to do the same.