MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Alexus Ables is a long way from home. The California girl grew up in Palmdale, but she always had dreams of going to college in the Deep South.
“I have always been attracted to the South and I really wanted to attend an HBCU,” she said. “I visited a few schools and just knew. It’s the people and the culture of the South and I just feel like I belong here.”
Her dreams and ambitions led her to Alabama State University. Her long-term goal: to become an educator. A few years and a degree later, she would have her own classroom at Floyd Middle Magnet School in Montgomery.
“I like middle schoolers. They keep me on my toes, they keep me motivated,” she chuckled.
She teaches 8th grade physical science, along with a design and modeling (engineering) elective. In her classroom, she uses magic, real-life experiences and even fireworks, to teach.
“I love science. It’s magic, but real,” she said. “I love everything about it. I love going into the lab and showing them different reactions and just the way the everyday world around them works.”
As a fairly new educator with just five years of experience, she’s learned a lot in the classroom about time and management.
“I’ve learned to manage my time better, be where my feet are, and enjoy the moment that I’m in,” Ables said.
“And if you’re energetic and you’re positive and you’re happy, then they’re going to be energetic, positive and happy,” she added. “This makes for engaged students and deep learning.”
Her energy is so magnetic, it simply draws her students in — to her and her classroom.
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