Welcome, Christina McGowan!

Christina McGowan, 2nd Grade Teacher

Tell us about yourself.
I am originally from Florida, but consider New Jersey my home. I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two children. I love to create new things, so Pinterest is one of my favorite spots to get ideas for arts and crafts and other DIY projects! I have always loved teaching and learning; in fact, many of our classroom library books are some of my favorite stories from when I was in elementary school! I’m so glad my mom and dad told me to keep them! I love spending time with children watching them grow and discover new things about the incredible world around us that God has created!

How did God bring you to work at EC?
God is so good, and it truly is by His grace and appointment that I am blessed to join the Eastern Christian family! I have been a classroom teacher in the public school system for the past 8 years with the last 6 years in second grade. Second grade is so much fun! As we welcomed our son this year, God really put it on our hearts to explore ways to combine our family’s goal of Christian education with my work ministry of teaching. God literally kept me awake at night with my newborn son and opened the door to the opportunity to teach at Eastern Christian- and how sweet He is to even open the specific door to continue working with my amazing second graders! My husband and I are both graduates from Christian education and I received my Bachelors in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education from Palm Beach Atlantic University and my Masters in Inclusive Education from Montclair State University.

What sets Eastern Christian School apart?
The Lord placed it on my heart to examine why I teach and gave me this mission statement. It is “To help children find God’s purpose for their lives and prepare them for it”. As John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came to give us life more abundantly, I believe that Eastern Christian supports this biblical truth in that our learning community is able to teach students incredible truths about God and help lead them- mind, body, and soul- to discover God’s purpose and plan for their lives. From understanding academic ideas to interacting with each other, God can clearly be seen in the midst of it all at EC. There is no greater joy as a teacher or a parent than to see your children walking in the truth! I am humbled by the opportunity to walk alongside our Eastern Christian students as they become the beautiful and unique treasures that God created them to be.