NJ Teacher Of The Year Honor Goes To Toms River Educator

TOMS RIVER, NJ ? Toms River Regional Schools science teacher Christine Girtain has been honored as the New Jersey Teacher of the Year for the 2022-23 school year.

The honor was announced Wednesday morning during the state Board of Education meeting.

Girtain, who leads the authentic science research program at Toms River High Schools North and South, was named the Ocean County Teacher of the year in August. She is the first Ocean County teacher to receive the statewide honor.

The award honors her work guiding students in research projects that have covered topics from the effects of fruit seed extracts on bacteria to bioengineering E. coli to studies of bees.

"Christine Girtain personifies what it means to be a teacher here in Ocean County and Toms River, which is student-focused and with a passion to develop our children into lifelong learners," Toms River Regional Superintendent Michael Citta said.

"Ms. Girtain operates without physical or intellectual boundaries ? she has organized national and international science-based trips, and her educational approach and sheer personality challenge her students and colleagues to think beyond the ordinary," Citta said. "The result of her teaching is that students believe anything is possible, and their achievements reflect that. What more can you ask from a teacher?"

"Ms. Girtain is an immense source of pride for this county, community, and me personally," he said.

The district is planning a pep rally for Monday to celebrate Girtain's achievement.

In a video announcing the award, some of Girtain's co-workers and former students shared the impact she had on them.

"Instead of spending her summer mornings at the beach, Mrs. Girtain sat with me in a hot high school lab while I ran the experiments for my final science project," said Caroline Fairhurst, associate software developer at Kaplan Innovation and Toms River North graduate.

"She really pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and talk to people and get involved in research," said Hannah Morgan, who is working on a Ph.D. in neuroengineering.

"She is someone who wants to see you succeed and will always offer support and encouragement," said Zacorra Gonzalez, who is a biological science technician with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Amey Rana said a trip with Girtain's class led to him getting an opportunity to participate in undergraduate research at the Driscoll Lab at Rutgers University.

"She always values students; she always values learning," said Kyle Seiverd, a biology teacher at Toms River North.

Girtain, who has been a teacher for 28 years, said she was inspired to become a teacher by Ginny White, her third-grade teacher at Hooper Avenue Elementary School. She went down the path of science thanks to the influence of teachers in middle school and high school.

The work has been an adventure for her and for her students, which has included trips to a variety of educational places across the country.

"My students are doing research doing corn leaf angle so that farmers can plant the plants naturally closer together allowing us to grow more corn per acre," she said, and another project is researching essential oils to kill off oral bacteria in cavities and also to kill off mites that are killing bees.

As the NJ Teacher of the Year, Girtain will spend six months sharing her educational approaches and insights with teachers all over New Jersey, as well as at the state level, working with the other teachers who were named county teacher of the year across the state.

Girtain will be on sabbatical from the Toms River Schools, with that sabbatical paid for by Educational Testing Service, one of the sponsors of the Teacher of the Year program. She also will receive a new laptop. The New Jersey Education Association is providing her with a rental car and an EZPass tag for use when she attends speaking engagements and will pay for Girtain to attend a national Teacher of the Year program in Washington, DC, later this school year.

"I'm excited to be working with an extremely talented group of educators," she said of the 2022-23 county teachers of the year. "I've learned new things from my colleagues and my students and I've definitely made new friends."

Acting Commissioner of Education Angelica Allen-McMillan praised Girtain for her impact on her students.

"Hearing from student after student who stood in front of the class and shared what they were learning but how Christine touched their lives as learners" was really touching, Allen-McMillan said of the reaction when state officials announced the award in Girtain's classroom.

"You are an inspiration," state Board of Education president Kathy Goldenberg said.

At the pep rally, those who have been impacted by Girtain's teaching will speak and she will receive the car from the NJEA that she will have use of for a year, district officials said.

"Christine Girtain is a mosaic of inspiration as an educator, an innovator and simply a genuine person who makes a difference in our community," said Kevin Raylman, principal at Toms River South. "She creates a scaffolding of opportunities that enable individual students the chance to accomplish great things. Ms. Girtain has established an academic structure that pushes students and enables them to realize their untapped potential. Additionally, her educational presence impacts her colleagues as she both inspires and encourages the professionals around her. Whether it is an intense student-driven experiment or through something as mundane as a collegial conversation in the hallway, Ms. Girtain is making a positive and profound change."

"We are truly proud to have the good fortune to grow and learn from her on a daily basis," Raylman said.

Note: This article has been updated with additional information from the Toms River Regional Schools.