After teaching for nearly 51 years, teacher Lawanda Parker capped her educational career and continue forward with her life.

“Teaching was everything in my life. I really enjoyed it. It was great. I miss it and I worked so long; I feel very happy now in retirement. It was the most important thing in my life for those 51 years,” Parker said.

Retiring as the first semester came to a close, Parker now spends her retirement in Florida. During her time at Eisenhower, Parker taught classes such as: government, history, sociology and at one point was an assistant band director. She was also heavily involved in the teacher’s union.

“Some of my finest years were my last years. I can’t say there was any dwindling of interest love for the occupation of teaching kids,” Parker said. “Every year was a different situation and every year was challenging. It was tough. It was not easy, but it was very fulfilling and very rewarding to me, which was very hard to give up.”

A lot of the lessons Parker taught continue outside of the classroom for many. After teaching over 10,000 students in her career, Parker impacted a large portion and helped them find out more about themselves.

“Sometimes she sang history songs and that was pretty fun; it helped me remember some things when it came to tests,” senior Connor Culpert said. “She taught us patience and helped me learn more about my favorite subject, which was history.”

Now, after teaching students for half a century, Parker has taken it into her hands to start learning more herself in her retirement. With the newfound extra time, she took up gardening.

“Now, I’ve actually been the one learning. You think ‘when you’re 73 years old you can’t learn anymore’, but I’m actually trying to grow a garden down here. Working in the garden, I simply love. I’m trying to learn about plants,” she said. “And to be honest, a lot of them are ugly, I have to admit– I don’t want the Floridians to know that– but they’re not the prettiest plants like we have up in Michigan. I’m just trying to learn which ones to grow and how to grow them. I’ve had some bad failures along the way, but I’m just loving the process.”

It is also the process Parker will fondly remember, in her long-term teaching career.

“I want to thank you and the kids for thinking of me and contacting me. It was very hard to leave Eisenhower and it was very hard to leave you kids,” Parker said. “I want to thank every student that I worked with and wish you all the very best. That’s what teachers are there for. They are what make this career such a grand one.”