By Elle Wood

HARRINGTON – For the second year in a row, an educator from W.T. Chipman Middle School has been named Lake Forest School District Teacher of the Year.

Brent Carter, a sixth-grade language arts teacher, has been teaching for 19 years, all of it in the Lake Forest School District.

“It’s a phenomenal honor,” said Mr. Carter. “I feel like I have done so much for the district because it has been a very long time since I have been here and to get that recognition is just an immense pleasure and honor.”

He became head of the language arts department about 12 years ago.

“I work with all the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade teachers to create a curriculum and look at the current curriculum and give them ways to help facilitate teaching in their classrooms,” he said.

Mr. Carter also helped bring the district spelling bee back to W.T. Chipman after doing away with it for some time.

“We didn’t have it for a very long time because of COVID and some other things. So we took it into our hands to run again for our school,” said Mr. Carter.

Additionally, has developed various writing contests to get the students engaged in writing.

“I like reading content that the students have created. So I do a lot of contests over the year for students to input writing pieces that they have created,” he said.

For instance, he created a Halloween writing contest for students to create scary stories. He, with the help of other teachers, picked their favorite to receive a prize.

His work is quickly noticed when new staff members join the district.

“I came to W.T. Chipman as the principal last year and Mr. Carter stood out to me right away,” said Brandy Cooper. “He makes such a big impact on the students every day.

“He is the kind of teacher that goes above and beyond, even if it means taking on more work for himself, to engage students and really get them excited about learning.”

Becoming a teacher was an easy decision for Mr. Carter.

“I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was in sixth grade,” he said.

His grandfather was an automotive teacher at a school in New Jersey, where he grew up, and saw what a confident teacher he was. Another factor was that in sixth grade, he had a teacher that did not help him in ways that he needed.

He decided to become a teach who would provide students with a place where they feel comfortable and get that help.

“I always wanted to be the teacher that students need,” said Mr. Carter. “If you walk into my classroom, I’m going to be there for you from the time you walk in until the time you walk out for the day, the month and the entire rest of the year.”

Mr. Carter has a Harry Potter-themed classroom that he created as a safe space for students to be themselves and want to learn.

“My favorite part of teaching is being the class that students like to come to and putting a smile on students’ faces,” said Mr. Carter. “One of the things that I stand on is that if you can get the kids to buy into you as a teacher, then they will buy into what you are teaching.

“Essentially if they love you as a teacher and they want to be in your class, then whatever you are teaching is going to be that much easier for them to learn.”

As a sixth-grade teacher, he has noticed that the transition to a different school setting can have challenges for some students. He believes it is important to to help them through that transition and prepare them for what is to come.

“I always think that sixth grade is the linchpin of all years,” said Mr. Carter. “This is when the kids are going to change the most.

“They move from an elementary school setting where they have one, maybe two, teachers a day to a school where they are moving from classroom to classroom.”

The Lake Forest School District has become home for Mr. Carter. He has developed a strong connection to the community over these 19 years.

“I love my district,” he said.

“Lake Forest has always been good to me.”

Mr. Carter is now vying for the Delaware Teacher of the Year honor that will be announced in October.