COCOA BEACH, Fla. — Even before Spectrum News 13 interviewed him, A+ Teacher Jeb Carpenter was accustomed to being in front of the camera.

COVID-19 inspired Carpenter, who teaches science at Cocoa Beach Junior/Senior High School, to create a YouTube channel. His video classroom features lessons on rocks and minerals, butterflies and even field trips to the Maritime Hammock to learn about plants, trees and animals.

Carpenter said it’s important for the students in his seventh-grade science class to receive a well-rounded education.

"There's these crazy lessons that I put together, and I do spend a lot of time building the lessons and trying to plug in interesting things," he said. "I don't want them just in the book or just in the computer."

As much as Carpenter loves teaching, he said there was a time when he couldn't have imagined leading a class.

"I thought I was going to be a pilot, and I got a degree in aviation and worked for the Dallas-Fort Worth airport initially," he said. "But then I managed to fall into teaching."

A friend told him about an aerospace science teaching position, and he said he jumped at the opportunity, and 46 years later has no regrets

"It took me 15 years before I discovered I actually like teaching, and so I'm going to keep teaching," he said.

He has a unique teaching style, too, with a little humor mixed in.

"I have some activities that I do — I try to have things that I can show them," he said. "I try to change things often. But that is a challenge. That is a challenge, especially at this age, to keep them engaged."

After decades of teaching, Carpenter is getting closer to retirement, and said he plans to spend more time with his family when that time comes.

"I've got this year and one more year because I've got this beautiful new granddaughter, and I want to have some time with her, so I'm at the end of my career," he said. "But it’s a really hard decision because I love being here. I love teaching. I love science."