Teri Parris Ford

I was born Teresa Marie in East Los Angeles, California. My friends call me Teri. I remember wanting to be a teacher as early as 3rd grade. I was one of those kids who stayed late after school waiting for my mom to pick me up and offered to help my teacher whenever I could, doing whatever I could. I have always loved drawing and as early as 5th grade I began selling my art work. As an early collegiate I majored in English because of my love for reading and writing but kept taking art classes to keep my GPA up. In the end I had enough art credits to graduate as an art major but not enough credits to be an English major so it was suggested I major in Art.

I came to Madison in 1990 and got stuck here. It took me nearly 7 years to get my teacher's credential at the UW in between having children and traveling. The best thing about living in Madison is having all the comforts of a big city living with the relative safety and beauty of a small town. Wisconsin was a wonderful place to have a family. I have now lived longer in the midwest than the west coast but still feel more like a California girl than Wisconsonian.

For five years I was a full-time stay-at-home mom. Being a mother is an amazing calling for some; for me, it was hard work and did not feel rewarding. Joining the work world in my early thirties was a way for me to get away from the drama of toddlers and potty training. For many years it took me away from the trauma of teens and a lot of dirty laundry at home. Now it seems like work is all I've got going on most of the time.

I am currently teaching art at Vel Phillips Memorial High School (formally known as James Madison Memorial). As much as I love my job, I know I’m getting close to retirement. In my spare time I try to be creative. I take a lot of pictures and I paint. A very long time ago I challenged myself to write this daily blog. I write about my children, mostly my birth children, but my students too and the challenges I face being a mother, a teacher and a woman in her thirties when I started, forties, and now; mid-fifties-- so the blog themes change as I age.