MCSS ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Andrea Gosling, Hillsboro R-III
Mrs. Andrea Gosling is a kindergarten teacher at Hillsboro Primary School in Hillsboro, MO She states, "I have always felt that students learn best when each of their 5 senses are touched in the learning process. My philosophy is that my students need to see it, hear it, smell it, taste it and touch it. By doing this you really make learning come alive and make learning really stick. For example, when you teach your class about a country, teach your students a dance from that country and eat something that they eat from that country. Make it really come alive. Remember that not everyone is a visual or auditory learner. Teach to all the different types of learners. Students, young and old, want to “do.” They do not want to just sit in front of a screen. They want to create, move, interact, etc. I never want my students to be bored in my classroom. I want them to sing, dance, eat, paint, color, and create in my classroom.
I have been married for 28 years to my husband Darren. We have three children; Garrison, Truman, and Corinne and a black lab named LuLu. I received my Bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University and my Masters from Webster University. I love teaching Social Studies but I also love teaching reading. I really have a heart for those with Dyslexia. I am a Wilson Reading Dyslexia Practitioner and tutor students with reading
difficulties. I received the 2022 District Teacher of the Year for the Hillsboro R3 School District. This was a wonderful honor and a great blessing to me. I am also the recipient of the 2022 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. I thank God for my many blessings and feel so honored to be the 2023 MCSS Elementary Teacher of the Year."
MCSS MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Dennis Brown JR, Cabool Middle School
Mr. Brown teaches 7th and 8th grade social studies at Cabool Middle School in Cabool, MO. Mr. Brown states, "You have to peek a students interest if you are going to keep them interested in history. My students do a lot of hands on project work. Whether it is a dig in the dig site, a poster for World War II, or a board game created for geography. By keeping them interested and involved, we learn from each other every day. In studying the topic, then doing a hands on type activity, my students are better able to grasp the concepts of history."
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Mr. Brown has been involved with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) Currently I am involved with the Missouri Pilot Administration of the Social Studies Exploration and Discoveries. Of all the jobs I have had in my lifetime, teaching is the most rewarding.
From the love of a young man that I worked with for three years in Crocker to make sure he graduated, to the young lady who lost her father in Cabool this year. From the highs to the lows in teaching. From the days you need to get down on the floor and cry with you students, to the days they ask you to speak at their graduation.
There is nothing more heartbreaking, sad, exhilarating, rewarding or completely satisfying then being a middle school classroom teacher. This is the job God put me here to do and now I know everything else in my life was just filler until I entered the classroom. If you are going into the classroom you need to be there heart mind and
spirit or it will tear you up.
MCSS HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Daniel Lamping, Mehlville School District
Mr. Lamping teaches US History and AP Geography to Grades 9-12 at Mehlville High School in St. Louis, MO. Mr. Lamping states, "In the past I have had membership in the National Council of History Education and National Council of Geographic Education. I have participated in numerous Teaching American History Grant workshops in the past and have participated in workshops with the Missouri Geographic Alliance. I see education as preparation for citizenship and try to foster in learning through having positive relationships with students. I try to bring our local community into my history and geography classrooms. In my history class we discuss current events and apply principles of American government to evaluate local, state and federal issues regularly. For the past ten years students in my AP Human Geography class have participated in service learning by working on a graffiti removal project at Cliff Cave in Cliff Cave County Park in St. Louis County. I also sponsor the Culture Club at my school which hosts on an international festival for our community each year. As well I have sponsored numerous students who've been involved in National History Day, which fosters a sense of engagement. This is my 17th year as a social studies teacher. In addition to teaching I do a lot of volunteer work mapping, documenting, and conserving caves in Missouri. I am the President of the Missouri Speleological Survey, a not for profit organization dedicated to the study of Missouri's caves and I work with the Cave Research Foundation in assisting state and federal agencies in cave management. I have a wife and two kids who support me in all that I do, for which I am grateful.
Do you know someone who should be the next
Teacher of the Year?
We are looking for nominations for the Teacher of the Year. We are looking for nominees that demonstrate qualities in:
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developing and using materials creatively and effectively
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incorporating innovative or verifiable effective instructional strategies and techniques
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use of new scholarship in the social studies fields
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fostering a spirit of inquiry and development of skills related to acquiring, organizing, processing, and using information
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fostering the development of democratic beliefs and values needed for citizen participation in the classroom, school, and community settings
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activity in workshops, curriculum development, and associations
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Nomination form due by 11:59 PM January 1, 2024!
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