Several new teachers have joined Chapman High School’s faculty this year. One of these new teachers is Carrie Forrest, who teaches one of the highest math classes the school has to offer: AP Calculus.

Forrest taught at Saluda High School for several years before becoming a Panther, and she’s glad to be closer to home. She even has a connection to the school. 

“I’m originally from Spartanburg,” Forrest said. “Mr. Dawkins, a former principal here, was my seventh-grade math teacher, and he informed me about the position.”

She credited her teaching career to her mother, who taught for 30 years, as well as her love for being around teenagers. Her favorite part of her job is when she sees a student understand something she is teaching.

“(I love) watching the lightbulb that goes off when it finally registers… and you’ve got it,” Forrest said.

Academic expectations are very high at Chapman, and that is one of the things she enjoys the most.

“Students know that (they) have to work bell to bell, and that expectation is consistent for all students,” Forrest said.

Even though it’s only the third week of school, AP Calculus students are hard at work preparing for the AP exam, and Forrest is doing her part to get them ready.

“Miss Forrest has provided students with different forms of practice, allowing students to see different ways questions could be worded,” junior Alex Kinlaw said. “She has also implemented a time limit for completing problems; this is for the benefit of students during the timed AP exam.”

Sophomore Gabby Freire also spoke highly of Forrest’s class.

“I enjoy the flexibility and ability to take learning into my own hands,” Freire said.

Teachers always have a challenging job, but this school year brings more challenges than ever before. While Forrest said that she liked a good challenge, she said that making the curriculum flow with the available technology has been difficult.

“It’s not something we had a lot of time to prepare for,” Forrest said. “So it makes it an additional aspect.”

Chapman High School is excited to welcome her into the 2020-2021 Panther Nation!