Alexandria “Lexi” Gribble

Alexandria “Lexi” Gribble teaches AP United States Government and Politics and AP Human Geography at Herron High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is also the sponsor of Model UN at Herron High School. Before joining the team at Herron, she taught middle school for two years in Marion, Indiana. She graduated from Ball State in 2018 with a double major in Social Studies Education and History. During her time as a student at Ball State and in addition to her class work, she conducted research on historical empathy in the classroom and presented that research at the National Council for History Education’s annual conference in 2018. 

What did you study while you were at Ball State?

I graduated with a double major in Social Studies Education and History in 2018.


What is your career now?

I teach AP United States Government and Politics and AP Human Geography at Herron High School in Indianapolis, Indiana.


What does a typical week in your position look like?

Now that we have returned to in-person learning I am teaching my students both in-person and virtually throughout the school day. In addition to teaching, a typical week includes finalizing lesson plans, grading student work, and organizing activities for Model UN. Every week is different and while that can be challenging at times, it is also what makes being a teacher exciting and rewarding.


What are the most valuable skills you learned in your major?

I learned how to apply my historical knowledge to create lesson plans that help my students engage with social studies content in a meaningful way. I learned how to guide students to ask questions, investigate, and explore the world they live in. It is important that teachers provide students opportunities to critically think and apply what they learn in the classroom to their daily lives. Both of my majors prepared me to be that teacher for my students.


How are the skills you learned as a History student relevant to your career and life today?

My time as a History student directly prepared me for my career today. Despite the challenges of the past year, I can still apply the skills that I learned in my classroom no matter if it is in-person or virtual. As a History student I had to be resourceful when researching for my projects by closely examining and analyzing historical texts to find evidence to support my work. I use this skill daily as I craft lesson plans for my students. I have found ways to be innovative in my career and my time as a History student definitely prepared me for that.


What is your advice to other History students?

Use the time you have as a student to explore all the opportunities that Ball State has to offer. I was able to take classes that I enjoyed, take leadership roles in the History Club, and attend conferences where I learned more about the teaching profession. Those opportunities not only enhanced my time at Ball State, but also helped me gain skills that I use today as a teacher.

You can contact Alexandria via email (agribble@herronhighschool.org).