A passion for performance, writing, music and, most importantly, integrating those elements into education, drives Sara Parker-Ada to get up each day and inspire local youth to chase their dreams and follow their hearts.
“I really love my job. I know that’s sometimes hard for people,” said Mrs. Parker-Ada, an English instructor at Indian River High School. “But I really enjoy going in because every day is different for me as a teacher.”
For Mrs. Parker-Ada, life is about accepting new challenges, being busy and sharing her passions with those around her, especially her 5-month old daughter, Helen. Friends and family joke with her, asking, “When do you sleep?”
“I sleep when it’s done,” she said.
Working as a high school and college educator, playing roller derby and acting as one of the 2017 captains, all while being a member of the New York State Reading Association and the Greater Thousand Islands Literacy Council, somehow Mrs. Parker-Ada manages to do it all and says she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I go to practice, come home and have things to do for my family, things I need to do for school, and things I have to do for the different organizations I am a part of,” she said.
While having a full plate, Mrs. Parker-Ada and her husband also welcomed their daughter into the family.
“One of my goals is to be a good role model. So she knows you can have a family and you can have a career,” she said. “I hope she knows that she can be a leader, she can be assertive and passionate about things — she can have it all,” Mrs. Parker-Ada said.
A Cape Vincent native, she never imagined that she would teach back in the north country. “It’s the schools diversity and willingness to embrace new learning techniques,” she said, “it led my husband William and me to decide to move home and into the Indian River School District.”
Completing an internship at the school early in her career, she said the choice was clear and that Indian River is where she would like Helen to attend when the time came.
Throughout her life, she has always been involved with the arts.
“When I was in middle school I started making parody videos, which I think came from my love of Weird Al,” Mrs. Parker-Ada said. “I’ve always loved music. I learned using music. And I think that a lot of students are that way.”
She summarizes the books read in her classrooms through music to engage students to see past the ‘required reading’ and to inspire them to become immersed in the story.
“Some of my first videos were about reading in general — inspiring reading through song.”
Some of her first parody literacy videos were part of a promotional campaign for the New York State Reading Association. The first, the song of ‘Rolling in the Deep’ by pop-artist Adel, called ‘If You Love to Read.’ She says that it was Thousand Islands High school teacher Debbie Dermady, who inspired much of her passion for literacy.
The parody spread like wildfire and schools across the country began using it and developing their own as tools for teaching.
“It’s been really interesting because I get emails from schools saying their children learned from my songs, they learned choreography and we sang it. It’s amazing to see ‘book love’ spread throughout the world. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”
It seems that Mrs. Parker-Ada is something of a literacy superhero, and Indian River Principal Troy Decker could not agree more.
“Good teachers seem to encourage, or motivate, or even inspire others to do good things. Every now and then a teacher’s devotion to her craft truly ignites frenzy for learning that surpasses all others. Mrs. Parker-Ada’s creative and courageous commitment to her students exemplifies the “magic” seen only in the best teachers. She empowers students to write with passion, reflect with prudence, and always see the poetry in life. Sarah connects, leads and empowers; she weaves music and history and fantasy into a beautiful fabric that extends well beyond the walls of her classroom. And most of all, Sarah believes in every student’s ability to make his or her own “magic” for a lifetime. To her colleagues, she is a teacher. But to her students, Mrs. Sarah Parker Ada is a superhero.”
When asked where she would like to see herself over the next five years Mrs. Parker-Ada simply said, “I’m just going to keep saying yes to things — and not to sleeping.”
— Holly C. Boname
The Sarah Parker-Ada File
Hometown: Theresa
Professional position: English instructor, Indian River High School
Family: Husband, William Ada; daughter Helen, 5 months
Education: Associate in photography, RIT; bachelor’s in English literature; Master’s in literacy
Community involvement: New York State Reading Association; Greater Thousand Islands Literacy Council; Port City Roller Derby; Charlotte Award Committee
Last book read: “The Left Behinds: The iPhone That Saved George Washington” by David Potter