Chris Monsour Keeps Exploring So His Students Can See Further

What they made happen

Chris Monsour brings firsthand experiences of conservation and scientific research into the science classroom at Columbian High School in Tiffin, Ohio. Through his participation in research at sea and conservation work abroad, students encounter scientific ideas connected to places and problems their teacher has investigated himself. Monsour describes the purpose as helping students understand the science behind conservation and recognize its relevance beyond school. His contribution begins with a choice he has continued making throughout his career: keep learning in the wider world, then bring that learning home. Tiffin City Schools

One formative experience took him aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 2007. The Teacher at Sea Alumni Association reports that Monsour credits the experience with a lasting influence on his teaching. His classroom connection to field science has roots extending well before his recognition as the 2026 Ohio Teacher of the Year. Teacher at Sea Alumni Association

Meet the educator

Monsour teaches advanced science courses, including Advanced Placement and College Credit Plus biology. His district describes a teacher who connects demanding coursework with hands-on learning and particularly enjoys having students build and design models. That preference offers a useful glimpse of his approach: students need opportunities to work with scientific ideas and make their understanding visible. Tiffin City Schools

His own description of his career helps explain the motivation behind those choices. In a profile for HHMI BioInteractive, Monsour says that bringing personal scientific experiences into his classroom helps him model how science is practiced. For a teacher, remaining a learner can be an important form of preparation. It creates opportunities to encounter new questions, reconsider familiar explanations, and return with a more grounded understanding of the subject students are being asked to explore. HHMI BioInteractive

What went into it

Monsour’s learning has involved sustained participation beyond his school. Alongside his NOAA experience, he has worked with Earth Expeditions, which connects participants with grassroots conservation and sustainability projects. He also identifies relationships with other educators through HHMI BioInteractive as valuable professional learning. His account places scientific experience and professional collaboration together: learning from the field and learning from colleagues both contribute to his teaching. HHMI BioInteractive

He gives colleagues at Columbian credit as well. In the district’s October 2026 announcement of his selection for a Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence, Monsour recognized the opportunities they have had to collaborate and plan together. The award honors an individual, but his acknowledgment helps keep the wider teaching community visible in the story. Tiffin City Schools

His next learning opportunity is still taking shape. In October 2026, the district announced that he had received a Fulbright Teacher Exchange award for the 2026–2027 cycle. While preparing for the international portion, Monsour explained that he wants curriculum to connect with “what my students may experience when they leave TC and enter the world stage.” The destination and travel timeline were still forthcoming when the announcement was published. Fulbright announcement

Why it matters

Monsour’s stated purpose gives this work its significance. He wants students to understand how classroom science connects with the world beyond graduation. His field experiences provide one route toward that goal, while his emphasis on building and designing gives students opportunities to engage with ideas themselves. The important connection is between a teacher’s continuing curiosity and the learning opportunities that curiosity can help create.

Recent classroom research offers useful context for the conservation side of this approach. In an August 2026 graduate study at Montana State University, Aleitha Faye Grunst examined a 12-week community conservation experience involving middle school students. Activities included raising fish, learning about fisheries and forestry management, and participating in a community cleanup. The study reported improved concept-map performance and student interest in further conservation work. These findings suggest value in connecting scientific learning with participation in the surrounding community. Original research

This was a classroom-based graduate study, not an evaluation of Monsour’s teaching. It provides a relevant connection to explore without establishing that his students experienced the same outcomes. Champions of Learning looks to current research to better understand why an educator’s choices may hold promise, while keeping that research distinct from evidence about the educator’s own work.

Bring the idea to your classroom

An adaptation inspired by Monsour’s approach could begin with a nearby scientific question and someone actively investigating it. A local conservation organization, university researcher, park educator, or water-quality team might help connect curriculum with an ongoing problem. Students could examine available evidence, build an explanation or model, and identify what further information they would need. These are suggested applications, rather than a documented sequence from Monsour’s classroom.

The guiding question is what an educator’s own learning makes possible for students. A field experience becomes especially useful when it leads to a question learners can investigate, evidence they can examine, or a connection they can explain. Monsour’s continuing commitment to learning offers a starting point for that work.

Help Me Try This

Download the Bring Field Science Home teacher guide (PDF)

Reference stories: Tiffin City Schools’ Fulbright announcement, the linked district award report, and accounts from HHMI BioInteractive and the Teacher at Sea Alumni Association.

This story summarizes published reporting and professional accounts; Champions of Learning has not independently interviewed the educator.