RFH’s Christina Gauss is Monmouth County
Teacher of the Year
TheJournalNJ.com | OCTOBER 2020 33
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High
School couldn’t be prouder to share
that its 2020 Educator of the Year, Spanish
teacher, advisor, mentor and community
member Christina Gauss, has also been
named the County Teacher of the Year, representing
approximately 60 school districts in
Monmouth County.
Teachers earning this distinguished
title serve as liaisons between the schools
and the Department of Education and are
involved in advocacy activities for public
Gauss has been acknowledged for her outstanding
contributions as an educator. She
received the distinction of the American
Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese’s
(AATSP) National Outstanding
Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2017. RFH
is ecstatic that those outside of the local and
language communities can share and celebrate
the amazing talents of Gauss, who has distinguished herself as an
exemplary educator both in and out of the classroom.
Gauss earned degrees in Spanish, international relations and education
from Bucknell University, Millersville University and Rutgers – The
State University of New Jersey, respectively. She began her teaching career
in 1994 before joining the RFH staff in 2000. At RFH, Gauss works
tirelessly in constant collaboration with her colleagues and supervisor,
Seth Herman, to elevate the level of Spanish instruction
and increase the cultural exposure of students in
the World Language program. Regardless of the skill
level of her students and their knowledge of the Spanish
language, Gauss’ colleagues praise her dynamic
to bring “real-life materials and authentic experiences
to her class” through chat rooms with students in Spain,
immersion experiences with younger students, Hispanic
Heritage Month festivals organized at RFH, trips to el
Museo del Barrio and Little Spain in New York City, and
classroom visits by native Spanish speakers.
Parents and students alike describe Gauss as
a “treasure” and a “kind, motivating and creative”
teacher who fosters both a challenging and comforting
atmosphere where her students can thrive in
learning the Spanish language and explore their love
of global culture.
Outside of her classroom, Gauss has accompanied
students on trips sponsored and organized by RFH to
Guatemala, Peru and Spain. After studying in Spain in
2016, Gauss established a relationship with teachers
an exchange program and a sister-school
relationship over the past few years. This
relationship has provided amazing opportunities
for students to engage in authentic
communication and make connections with
Spanish-speaking peers.
Aside from being an innovative and caring
educator, Gauss is an advisor to students
and a mentor to her colleagues within and
outside of the World Language department.
Under her leadership of the Spanish National
Honor Society, she not only helps connect
students with scholarship and educational
travel opportunities to enhance their own
learning but also helps foster awareness and
generosity by organizing fundraisers and
events to support Spanish and Hispanic-related
charitable causes around the world. Gauss
leads by example, sharing her knowledge
of technology and educational strategies at
professional development workshops, creating
interdisciplinary projects with members of other departments,
and as an honored and contributing member of many professional organizations
such as Foreign Language Educators of New Jersey (FLENJ)
and The American Association for Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese
(AATSP). On top of her new honor by the county, Gauss will share her
expertise with World Language educators around the country as President
Elect of the National Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica.
Christina Gauss shares in her AP Spanish students’ celebration after RFH’s Languapalooza Competition in February 2020.
/TheJournalNJ.com