ELSANOR, Ala. — The first thing you notice about James Akins is that he never stops smiling.

And that’s after a full day of teaching eager-for-the-weekend sixth-grade students at Elsanor Elementary.

“I started with retail management for 12 years,” said Akins. “Then, my son and daughter were born and I wanted to spend more time with them. When I was at the store, I wanted to go home, and when I was home I was shorting something at the store.”

Akins and his wife of 15 years, Meredith, have two children, Jonathan, 7, and Madelyn, 4.

Akins and his family came back to the area from Florida (they are from here originally) so both he and his wife could attend school.

“I started back at Faulkner part-time,” said Akins, who credited “good family support” for his and his wife’s success.

Eventually, Akins went to school full-time, making use of the GI Bill to pay expenses, finishing his education degree at the University of South Alabama. He’s going to that school now for his master’s degree, which he hopes to complete in 2011.

Akins is also a petty officer (E6) in the Naval Reserve. His service to this country caused him to miss the first couple of weeks of this school year as he was training.

Besides this year, Akins’ naval service has caused him some difficulty in his quest to become a teacher.

“I was mobilized for seven months for active duty in 2005-2006, which was during my student teaching. I was in Kuwait for seven months.”

Akins didn’t have to go.

“I was given a choice,” said Akins “Katrina had just hit, and a lot of my unit were from New Orleans. I felt like the people from New Orleans just had to be home.”

That choice put Akins behind a year in his student teaching, but he graduated and was working in the Baldwin County Public School System.

Then the layoffs hit.

“As one of over 200 teachers laid off last year, I am fortunate to have met Mrs. (Susan) Runnels (principal of Elsanor Elementary) this summer at AMSTI. Which as you know in turn got me the job here. I feel that she needs to be mentioned as ‘My Savior,’”Akins said in an e-mail.

Today, Akins is teaching 21 sixth-grade students at Elsanor Elementary.

“I have them all day, except f or PE,” Akins said. He’s becoming an AMSTI (Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative) qualified teacher, and has a little more to go so he does not have all the “manipulatives” for science yet. He expects to have them by next semester.

While he loves all subjects, Akins says he’s particularly good with math.

“I’m a strong math teacher,” he said. “I’m excited about it.”

“I like to find ways and teach ways that they might understand,” said Akins .

Akins’ classroom is fully integrated with regular and “special needs” students. Resource teacher Chesley Harrison helps out with students needing some extra help.

“She teaches in ways that they might understand,” said Akins.

Akins says he gives lots of quizzes during the year.

“If I’m not hitting most of the class, then we need more instruction.”