When he isn’t helping students make abstract art or run the potter’s wheel, Mr. Parker is busy restoring muscle cars from the late 60s and early 70s. Right now, he has four in his shop that are in progress. Parker has been around cars since he was very young, working beside his dad on old British models, and that love for fixing and restoring things never went away.

Even with his car hobby, Mr. Parker has spent a huge part of his life at Stillwater Public Schools. He has been teaching in the district for 31 years and about 15 of those years have been here at SHS. If a student has taken Sculpture & Ceramics or some other art elective, there’s a good chance they’ve had him at some point.

“The most valuable thing I’ve learned while teaching is to have patience and even more patience,” Parker said.

His patience is definitely something that many students notice. His classes are hands-on and can get messy very quickly, but he somehow keeps everyone calm and under control. Senior Ryan Brassfield remembers how Parker would help him on the wheel when his clay wasn’t cooperating with him.

“Mr. Parker was my favorite part of his class because he was super funny and lightened my day,” Brassfield said.

Students also talk about how creative his assignments are. Senior Lulu Goodfox said she loved having the freedom to make whatever she imagined, and that the class never felt stressful.

“My favorite part about Mr. Parker’s classes was all the creativity that it brought out of me,” Goodfox said. “It was such a fun and laid-back environment.”

Over the years, his classes have produced everything from metal butterflies to clay pumpkins and jewelry bowls that students still use at home. A lot of people leave his class with both a project to keep and memories that they’ll remember forever.

When asked what keeps him here after all these years, Mr. Parker didn’t hesitate.

“My favorite thing about SHS is the students—they are great entertainment,” he said.