{ Empowering Human Potential }
As a teacher, Ashley Carlton ’12 presents science, math and technology opportunities By Alex Jansen Ashley Carlton ’12, a fifth-grade science teacher at Lower Creek Elementary School in Lenoir, N.C., and a graduate of the Reich College of Education’s classroom-based distance learning elementary education program offered at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. Photo by Chase Reynolds ’17
Ashley Carlton ’12 is an award-winning teacher in a predominantly rural North Carolina county, where she opens the eyes and minds of her fifth-graders through her science, technology, engineering and math-focused (STEM) classes and clubs, sustainable practices and examples of affection for her students. Her principal at Lower Creek Elementary in Lenoir, North Carolina, said of her, “Not only does (Carlton) teach science, but she lives and believes in conservation and being a good steward of our land. She is always willing to lend a hand and sponsors the largest club in our school: the STEM club.” Engaging students in tech and sustainable living Carlton co-wrote the grant for a recently installed solar panel at the school. She has taken over the garden at the school and shares how making poor food choices can harm the body. Carlton recently started the Girls Engineering Math and Science (GEMS) club to help “create a 26 • 2019
shift in that paradigm” of females in the STEM fields, she said. Her aim is to introduce girls to STEM in an unintimidating way in which they don’t fear failure or judgment. While at Appalachian, Carlton learned the expected skills — from lesson plans to creating a resume. She also had professors, she said, who “were genuine and forthcoming with the harsh reality of what the teaching career can hold.” Carlton mentioned the difficulties of teaching children who often are dealing with unstable or dramatic situations outside of school. “There are professors at Appalachian who will do their best to prepare you for these interactions. Most times the only requirement children have is to feel loved in a safe and nurturing environment,” she said. “The four walls of my classroom will always meet those requirements.” A six-year veteran teacher, Carlton has been voted by her school as Rookie of the Year two years in a row and was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2017.