Brayden Carty, a recent addition to the science department at Athens Drive High School, was recently nominated for the prestigious First-Year Teacher of the Year award. This award is an honor that recognizes dedication to teaching. Although he did not win the award, he has made a major impact on the academic lives of his students. Before coming to Athens, Carty was a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Last spring, he decided to switch paths and became a high school teacher.
“I had always wanted to be a teacher because my father was one. I’ve been around teaching my whole life, and that has played a big role in why I chose this to be my career,” said Carty. I wanted to be a professor at first, but after getting my master’s degree, I decided to try high school education, and I’ve enjoyed it since.”
Currently, Carty teaches Chemistry and AP Physics. In the classroom, Carty ensures that students prioritize understanding over simply memorizing content, where he also seeks meaningful interactions with students every day.
“Interacting with students is my favorite part of my job. I love sharing something that I am interested in with them,” said Carty.
Even though Carty has experience at the college level, he explains that teaching high school required a major shift in how he approaches teaching.
“I used to teach at UNC Chapel Hill. When I became a high school teacher, I had to change my outlook on various things to ensure that my teaching style was that of a high school teacher. I had to dilute things down and build the foundational blocks, and not rely on my students having previous knowledge,” said Carty.
One of the key qualities that makes Carty stand out is his patient and encouraging nature when it comes to overcoming difficulties in the classroom.
“I want my students to know that it is alright to not be able to succeed at everything. It’s okay if you don’t understand the ins and outs of something after reading about it once,” said Carty.
When asked about what keeps him going, what allows him to be supportive without getting frustrated, Carty described what he calls the lightbulb moment.
“The thing that always brings me back to being a teacher, even in hard times, is the lightbulb moment. This is where one of my students repeatedly fails to understand something, but after some hard work, they have an epiphany where the lightbulb hits, and they can understand the material,” said Carty.
After the dedication Carty has put into his work, the surprise nomination for First-Year Teacher of the Year was an exciting moment in his teaching journey.
“I was very overwhelmed when I found out that I was nominated; people started rushing into my room with balloons and music, but I was happy nevertheless. I felt very appreciated, and I was glad to see that my work was being recognized,” said Carty.
His students are not the only people who have noticed his hard work, his colleagues have too.
“One thing I can say is that Carty is a team player; he is the first to volunteer when any of us need help. He’s a considerate person who is always there to help those in need,” said Sherry Wantz, Science Department Chair.
In the future, Carty looks forward to introducing a brand new course to Athens.
“For the future, I am working on writing the curriculum for a class called Introduction to Organic Chemistry Honors. I am excited to see how it will go. Athens will be the only high school that offers a course like this, and I’m happy to offer an experience that no other school has for our students,” said Carty
