“My name is Christian Novak, and I am a native of Bainbridge, GA. I went to Bainbridge High School and played golf from 7th grade through senior year. In my junior year, our team won the first Region Championship for BHS in 40 years. I attended Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, GA where I graduated magna cum laude with my Bachelor of Arts in History with Teacher Certification. During my time at GSW, I interned with the Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in Plains. I got to meet Jimmy Carter twice and take photos of him and Rosalynn on the balcony of the Historic Plains Inn for a project. In 2025, I graduated from The Citadel with a Master of Arts in Military History. While at The Citadel, I participated in two life-changing study abroad programs. In 2023, I traveled with a group of cadets, graduate students, and professors to Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, and the Netherlands to trace the footsteps of soldiers who endured the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Market Garden during World War II. In 2024, I shipped off with another group to walk the beaches of Normandy and the bocage of Northern France where heavy fighting took place to break the hold of tyranny over Western Europe.”
Mr. Novak’s teaching career began at Emanuel County Institute in July 2021, and he immediately assumed the role of head high school and middle school golf coach. In 2023, the middle school girls and boys placed second in the region. In 2024, the boys earned Region Runner-Up again. In 2025, the girls won the first Region Championship in school history! “Our high school team has sent representatives to the GHSA Golf State Championship every year since I arrived.” commented Novak. In 2023, he assumed the role of Social Studies Department Head. As department head, Novak’s job is to advocate on behalf of the social studies teachers and work with other leaders at the school and district level to improve our scores, culture, procedures, relationships, and much more.
This is Mr. Novak’s fifth year teaching. In 2025, he was elected 25-26 Teacher of the Year by his peers. He has attended conferences such as the Society for Military History Conference in Washington, DC and Georgia Council for the Social Studies Conference in Athens. In 2023, Novak started an educational travel club, and in June 2025, he led three students through Berlin, Leipzig,
Dresden, Nuremberg, and Munich, Germany. Their next trip is to Hawaii in 2027. Novak has also accepted a resident instructor position with the Governor’s Honors Program at Georgia Southern over the summer. During this four-week program, he will facilitate discussions among the top .05% of social studies thinkers around the state ranging from philosophy to critical media literacy and military history.
“My whole family is tied to education in some way, and my passion for history stretches back decades. My parents took me to countless museums, battlefields, air shows, and historic sites. Along the way, my father would tell me stories of tank commanders, fighter pilots, naval battles, and anything else that piqued my interest. From a young age, I knew I wanted to extend those same opportunities to my students one day. Now, I bring in authentic historical artifacts for certain lessons, show pictures and videos from my own experiences abroad, and curate opportunities for students to travel and create their own memories.” stated Novak.
Mr. Novak’s 9th grade World History teacher, Mr. Wells, inspired him to be a teacher with high
expectations while still having fun and making history interesting. Mr. Wells approached the classroom with the same charisma and passion he possessed behind the pulpit on the weekends. Novak’s mentor teachers at Lee County High School during student teaching also played a foundational role in shaping his approach to classroom management. “Mrs. Dale, Mrs. Trussell, and Coach Thompson fostered a perfect blend of clear expectations, rigor, innovation, compassion, and humor that framed the strategies I still use in the classroom today.” added Novak.
Outside the classroom, Mr. Novak enjoys spending time with friends and family, researching the Mighty Eighth Air Force, playing golf and ping pong, watching the latest Netflix hits, and collecting
military memorabilia. His house is practically a museum with around 2,000 individual artifacts
ranging from 1887 to the Russo-Ukrainian War. He primarily focuses on World War II items
(medals, uniforms, field gear, homefront pieces, letters, photos, patches, anything that tells a
story). Novak’s goal is to piece together a collective understanding of warfare by compiling
individual stories and experiences, and he is always looking for more!
“Establishing my classroom presence in the turbulence of COVID-19 presented unique challenges, but our community of excellent educators took care of me as if I was a son or brother. As cliche as it sounds, ECI really is a family atmosphere. We have strong relationships with community stakeholders, offer unique opportunities for students, and hold each other to a standard of excellence.” stated Novak.
What have you found most rewarding in your career?
Novak: My purpose for entering the education field was certainly not the money... It was to pass on the passion that my father and good teachers instilled in me. Seeing students truly engage with history brings me tremendous joy. I view my presentation of history through the eyes of a filmmaker. Their goal is to grab onto the viewer’s heart long enough and strong enough to evoke feelings and responses. Watching students passionately debate a topic they feel strongly about. Hearing them laugh at humorous historical mishaps or shed a tear after learning about a heart-wrenching tragedy. I want students to feel the content rather than just learn it.
Do you feel that each of your students have left a lasting impression on you?
Novak: Each student brings a unique set of skills, talents, traditions, and experiences to the table. In the social studies, it is imperative to recognize and utilize those unique characteristics to tell the story of a diverse human collective. In my classes, we often discuss how our different cultures, experiences, and traditions stem from our ancestors and shape how we see the world and make our mark on it.
What advice would you like to give to new or upcoming educators?
Novak: Establish clear expectations early. Structure is more important than content knowledge. Plan for every contingency and act preemptively rather than reactively.
If you could tell your past students or future students one thing that you hope will stick with them all throughout life, what would that be?
Novak: Don’t back away from a challenge. Teachers are not out to get you–we are here to mold you into better thinkers, scholars, and contributing members of society. Hold yourself to a high standard. If you think you already do, set it even higher and surprise yourself by accomplishing things you never thought possible. If human beings spent half as much energy on achieving their goals as they do complaining about the challenges, we would all be geniuses!
What’s a favorite memory or some of your favorite memories that you have from your time as an educator?
Novak: My first shoutout during a valedictorian or salutatorian speech at graduation was my “I’ve made it!” moment. The most rewarding part of my job is watching nervous freshmen grow through constant challenges and find their voice and confidence. By the time students graduate, most come to respect and appreciate that the challenges in my courses were not just me being a hard teacher–they were meant to mold them into the person they inevitably became by their senior year.
