Carmen Lester, a dedicated and passionate special education teacher at Baldwin High School, has been making a profound impact on both her students and the Baldwin County School District. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Lester was recently named the 2023-2024 Baldwin High School Teacher of the Year.
Lester's journey into teaching began with a deep sense of compassion and a desire to make a difference. At the tender age of 18, she found herself working with developmentally disabled adults, fostering meaningful connections and relationships with them. "I worked with developmentally challenged adults," she said, "for two year before I went off to college. And I found myself calling back and checking on them, trying to see exactly what was going on in their lives. Then I thought, maybe I don't want to be a dental hygienist, so I ended up changing my major and now here I am!"
A proud 2006 graduate of Baldwin High School, Lester grew up in Milledgeville, Georgia. Returning to her alma mater in 2019 as a teacher, she noticed significant changes in both the school and the broader Baldwin County School District. However, what remained constant is the commitment of the educators to their students' well-being and success.
As a special education teacher, Lester plays a pivotal role in the inclusion model at Baldwin High School. She co-teaches with fellow educators, providing support to both students and teachers. Lester's embrace of the parallel co-teacher model allows her to see education through a different lens, enhancing her ability to meet students' diverse needs. Lester's dedication and hard work were recently recognized when she was named Teacher of the Year for Baldwin High School. Her initial reaction? Shock and disbelief. "I have never heard of a co-teacher winning Teacher of the Year so I was really shocked, and I'm overwhelmed with happiness."
Lester is used to working behind the scenes, actively involved in various school activities, such as coordinating the Black History program and coaching cheerleading and football at the middle school level. Now, as Teacher of the Year, she finds herself in a more visible role, an experience she describes as humbling.
Lester's teaching career spans eight and a half years, including her start as an intern in South Georgia. She attended Georgia Military College where she received her Associate's in Science before attending Armstrong State University in Savannah for both her Bachelors in Liberal Studies and Masters of Art in Teaching. In addition to her role as an educator, Lester is a devoted mother to her son, Julian. "My husband is a service member," Lester said, "and was up for redeployment in 2019, so we thought what would be best to support our family would be to move back home. Then, of course, tragedy hit our nation, our country, and the world with COVID." Since the pandemic, Lester has found herself fighting in support of mental health services for all of her students.
Carmen Lester's journey from a young adult inspired by compassion to becoming the Teacher of the Year at Baldwin High School is a testament to her dedication, hard work, and the lasting impact she has on the students and community. Her commitment to inclusive education and her ability to adapt to change make her a valuable asset to the Baldwin County School District. Congratulations to Carmen Lester on her well-deserved recognition as the 2023-2024 Baldwin High School Teacher of the Year.
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