SRHS Teacher of the Year - Meghan McMahon

Teachers make an impact on the lives of their students everyday, and this is especially evident in the case of the Shore Regional High School 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year, science teacher Mrs. Meghan McMahon.

McMahon, who has been teaching for 15 years, came to Shore in 2006. She teaches Earth and Space Science to sophomores, and Environmental Science to juniors.
“I was very touched,” said McMahon about her reaction to the announcement. “It was completely unexpected and very much appreciated.”
Among her regular classroom duties, McMahon said she works hard to create real-life examples of the science she is teaching her students.
“Any opportunity to bring the students outdoors is one in which I feel they make the most relevant connections between content and their daily lives,” she said, giving examples such as water quality testing of Franklin Lake, ozone and smog detection, and visits to an underground zinc mine to study nonrenewable resources.
“As a kid, I grew up going to national parks and camping. My love of nature combined with an inspiring college science professor, made me realize that becoming a science teacher was the right path for me,” she explained. “I believe in the importance of conservation and wildlife preservation and hopefully inspire a love of the outdoors in my students.”
In addition to teaching, McMahon has been the adviser of the Surfrider Foundation club since 2009, and is a member of the SRHS Green Team.
“The fact that the school is advancing toward more sustainable practices is directly in line with what I teach,” she said
McMahon described several activities she has students do, in order to create a real-life learning experience. The environmental students have tested the air quality outdoors and will begin implementing a school wide air quality awareness program in the coming months. The Earth and Space students visit an underground zinc mine to observe how our nonrenewable resources are extracted and used.
Outside of school, McMahon said she enjoys spending time with her family, including her three sons, eight-year-old twins and a five-year-old.
“We love to be outside. We go hiking almost every weekend,” McMahon said, adding her favorite things to do are “spending time with my family and watching them play sports and the guitar”
Her favorite local hiking spot is Hartshorne Woods in Atlantic Highlands, and her favorite national park is Acadia National Park in Maine.