‘He’s a treasure.’ Why a Blackfoot science teacher continues his career 41 years later

BLACKFOOT — The minute kids walk into Mr. Alan Southern’s classroom, they are captivated by his enthusiasm for teaching science.

“He brings it to life. He has hands-on demonstrations. He always does the most coolest lessons,” said Mountain View Middle School Principal Wes Jensen. “I think he is the greatest teacher in the world.”

Southern loves teaching kids. In fact, it’s his 41st year at the middle school in Blackfoot.

“His desire is, ‘I want to keep coming back when I still have the excitement to come back.’ That is cool!” Jensen said. “He comes back because he has a talent, he has a desire, kids love him, parents love him. To me, that’s awesome.”

Southern, 62, began teaching students at 22 in the fall of 1985. He teaches 8th-grade science and has five classes a day during the school week.

“When I was young, I thought that when I became a teacher, I could make a difference in their lives, and I think I still do, but what I’ve learned over time is the difference that they make in my life. That’s why I keep at it,” Southern said.

He has a spreadsheet of all the students he has ever taught, which is over 8,000. And though technology in school has changed since he began his career, what remains the same is that it is still all about the kids.

“That’s what it comes down to, is making connections with them, making them know that you care about them, and they can trust you. Then once you have that built, teaching becomes a whole lot easier,” he said.

Becoming a teacher

When he was in high school, Southern coached Little League and worked with kids. He enjoyed it. He went to college at the University of Idaho in Moscow and said he bounced between several majors until he realized what he wanted to do.

“I finally just decided, kids make a difference to me. That’s why I became a teacher,” he said.

He grew up on a farm in north central Idaho in a tiny town called Craigmont with a population of about 500 people. The closest “big” town was Lewiston. He thought he would move back there one day after he got his teaching job at Mountain View Middle School in 1985.

“I interviewed at several places and didn’t get offered a job. This one opened and I got hired. I only planned on staying a couple of years, thinking I would move back up north, but my roots took hold and this has just become home for me,” Southern said.

He met his wife, Cathy, while teaching in the Blackfoot School District. They will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary this coming summer. She was a special education teacher at an elementary school and is retired.

“My wife is my biggest cheerleader and without her support, I wouldn’t still be doing this,” Southern said. “I am the teacher I am today because of the people I have worked with for 41 years. Without them in my life, I wouldn’t be who I am.”

Memorable experiences

Southern has had some incredible experiences in his career, including the time he was asked to help chaperone eight students to Florida in July of 2011 for the launch of the U.S. Space Shuttle Atlantis.

“We got to see the very last space shuttle launch. That was a bucket list experience for me, being able to see that,” he said. “For those eight kids that got to go, that was a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

It launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station. Click here to learn more.

Southern has also taken on what’s become a tradition among students every year: a summer trip to California with many chaperones.

The idea began in 1989, when he had a retired superintendent in Utah who started a travel agency. He had asked Southern whether he had ever considered taking eighth-graders to California on a week-long trip.

“I told him he was crazy. It would never work. He wouldn’t let go. He kept bugging me and bugging me. My principal at the time said, ‘Throw it out there and see what happens,'” Southern recalled. “I think we started with 28 kids in 1990 and now we’re taking anywhere from 120 to 150 kids on this trip.”

He explained the Cali-Tour is a summer program not affiliated with the Blackfoot School District. Each student who participates pays for the trip on their own.

It has become a fun experience for the kids, especially for those who have never been out of Idaho, he said. Part of the itinerary includes SeaWorld in San Diego, the San Diego Zoo, Medieval Times, a whale-dolphin-watching cruise from Newport Beach, a Major League Baseball game, Universal Studios Hollywood, Disneyland and more.

“We squeeze that all in one week. We go nonstop from the time we leave Blackfoot to the time we get back,” he said.

In June, the coming tour will mark the 36th trip to California. The number of students who have participated throughout the years is over 3,400.

Southern has been the director of the first 34 tours. Two years ago, he moved to assistant director to help transition the program to new leadership so it will continue in the future.

He is well respected

People who have met Southern have said they’ve been inspired by him. One of Southern’s previous neighbors, Trevor Clayson, said that he has been impressed with Southern’s passion and the way he lives his life.

Clayson is also a teacher and said he’s learned from Southern to be positive every day and go out and try to make a difference.

“He kind of inspired me to become more involved than just as a classroom teacher. I teach some extracurriculars now because of what he taught me,” Clayson said. “He’s a man of many talents. I just look up to him.”

Other people who know him said Southern has a great reputation in the school district. Former students who had Southern when they were young have become teachers and have worked with him.

“I teach with some of the kids that I taught when they were in my classroom. And I think that it’s so cool. That makes me smile when I think about that, and I’ve taught their kids now,” Southern said.

He shared a picture with EastIdahoNews.com showing staff members who were once his students at Mountain View Middle School.

One of his previous students is now his current principal, Jensen. He said Southern was easily one of his favorites, and they formed a friendship later in life. They have gone hiking and have climbed mountains together.

“I’ve got some pretty strong friendships because of my time at the middle school. There are some amazing people over there who are more than just colleagues. They’re my friends. It’s just a family. And that’s another thing I like about our school, is that we care about each other,” Southern said.

Southern doesn’t have plans to retire anytime soon. He said the kids he has this year are phenomenal, and they are important to him.

“I totally intend to come back next year again. I’ve still got that fire, and it drives me to keep on going,” Southern said.

He’s a remarkable person, and Jensen added he wishes everyone could experience and see just how much Southern cares for people.

“He is loved by the community, and he’s a treasure. I wish we could keep him forever,” Jensen said.