Home is where the heart is and that’s exactly how Andalusia Elementary School’s new science teacher Stephanie Nall describes the opportunity to teach “at home.”

Nall, a 2006 graduate of Andalusia High School, is no stranger to the school system and will take her place as AES’s new upper level science teacher, replacing Deb Hughes.

Nall said she is excited to be back in Andalusia.

“I am very glad to be back in my hometown,” she said. “I’m excited to start fresh and start new.”

Nall said she grew up coming to the elementary school after school when her mom, Kathy, worked as the secretary in the office for many years, before she passed away last year.

“Mom always wanted me to come back here,” she said. “I feel at home here.”

Nall said she plans to teach science using hands-on activities.

“We are preparing a lot of outside stuff,” she said.

“It makes learning fun. It gets children off their feet and participating. They’ll be working in groups to find solutions to problems.”

Nall said the opportunity to teach at home just came to her.

“I was moving home anyway,” she said.

“I thought I’d be working on my master’s and being a substitute.”

Instead, she will lead a classroom.

Teaching the upper grades will be a change for Nall, who has been teaching pre-K at a Tuscaloosa school.

“I’m excited to have this job,” she said.

“I look forward to the challenge. Even though I’m teaching the same lesson to six different classes, it will be something different with each group.”

Being a teacher is something Nall said she’s always known was in her future.

“I was the youngest of three, and I always wanted to teach,” she said.

“I always had to be the student (when we were playing school).”

Nall said she’s lucky to be able to teach in such a good school system.

“It’s such a good school system,” she said.

“I’ve really noticed that after leaving and coming back.”