As he considered a career path, teaching was the last thing Chris Monsour wanted to do.
But, now that he has 27 years in as a teacher at Tiffin City schools, the Brookfield High School graduate has gotten pretty good at it. So good that he was named Teacher of the Year for 2026 by the Ohio Board of Education.
“Christopher Monsour represents the best of what every educator should aspire to be; dedicated and passionate with a perfect balance of high expectations for all students coupled with the will to provide whatever support those students need to be successful,” State Supt. of Public Instruction Paul Craft said. “I couldn’t be more excited, on behalf of the State Board of Education, to congratulate him on this incredible achievement.”
“Mr. Monsour’s passion for science education and for ensuring his students have access to the opportunities they need to succeed should be applauded,” said Ohio Education Association President Jeff Wensing. “Over the course of Mr. Monsour’s more than two and a half decades in the classroom, he has impacted countless students’ lives, nurturing their curiosity, sparking a love of learning through hands-on experiments, and empowering them to reach their full potential, in Tiffin City Schools and beyond.”
It’s high praise for someone who loved science but was slow to figure out what to do with that interest.
Chris Monsour. Contributed photo.
Monsour graduated from Brookfield High in 1995 and went to Heidelberg University in Tiffin, from which he earned a biology degree. He decided not to go to graduate school, but he needed a job and ended up waiting tables. One day, the local school superintendent came into the restaurant where Monsour was working, noticed he was new and started up a conversation. Upon learning that Monsour had a biology degree, the superintendent said Columbian High School needed a substitute science teacher. Thinking “how hard could it be,” Monsour started subbing.
“I really kind of fell in love with it,” Monsour said.
He continued his education to get his teaching credentials while he subbed.
“I got to teach biology,” he said. “I really enjoy being outside, teaching kids about the world around them. I get to play every day. You get to do lab, and I get to go outside and explore.”
Monsour said he brings a lot of energy to class because he has to keep his students’ attention.
“You’re battling the cellphone,” he said. “You’ve gotta be more engaging than TikTok.”
Even though phones are banned in school, students are used to having easy access to whatever information they want, he said.
“You have to have energy, because that’s what you’re battling, social media and anything else,” he said. “We’re making it work.”
Monsour, who has 120 students across seven classes a day, also brings a deep well of empathy for the things some of his students have gone through. His mother died his sophomore year; his father was busy with work and remarried and wasn’t around much. He found solace at school and a support system in his teachers.
“I worked hard, I showed up, almost every day,” he said. “I think they (teachers) knew my parents weren’t gonna be coming to parent-teacher conferences, they didn’t come to any of my events. They (teachers) were supportive in the best way they could.”
“I was very fortunate to be at a small school,” Monsour said. “I really enjoyed my time at Brookfield.”
In addition to teaching classes such as biology, anatomy and physiology, and environment, Monsour also tries to teach life skills, he said.
“Life’s gonna deal you some stuff and you gotta learn how to handle it,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s OK to ask for help. They can ask me for help.”
Monsour will work with students on reading skills, graphing skills and other skills that are outside of the sciences, when the need arises, he said. He also links students to the community by collecting items for a local food bank, holding blood donation drives, supporting students who volunteer at the Salvation Army and serving on the Seneca County Park District Board and a local charitable foundation board. These entities directly impact the lives of students, he said
“The situation I was in makes me appreciate those kind of services,” Monsour said.
Being named Teacher of the Year was validation for the work Monsour does, he said.
“I put a lot of time and effort into my teaching,” he said. “I do try to make sure my students have the best experience.”
But, the designation also makes him the standard bearer for all those other Ohio teachers who put in the same time and effort that he does but will never be recognized in the same way.
“I’m representing 122,000 of Ohio’s teachers and so it’s kind of a lot of responsibility,” Monsour said.
Monsour plans to visit Brookfield Local schools on Oct. 9, the first time he will have been in the school building that was built in 2011, after he graduated.
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