Paula Gossard
Dr. Paula Gossard discovered a love of middle school students and teaching while leading a middle school youth group at her church during college, so she gave up chemical oceanography and earned a California Teaching Certificate, embarking on a 35-year career teaching science and math, primarily in Christian schools, to students in grades 6 through college. She also served as an administrator at schools in Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, but her first love truly is teaching. She’d much rather be in a classroom than in the main office! She and her husband Carl lived in many different locations during his career as a Coast Guard officer; of these, Alaska was by far their favorite, although their "retirement" home in Brookings, Oregon is a close second. Being surrounded by natural beauty is a gift beyond compare. Paula’s goal in teaching is to fascinate students with the natural world and its order and, most important of all, to help them see how these bring praise and glory to our Creator God! She loves to learn and by God's grace, has had many opportunities to study His marvelous works. Her academic credentials include a BA in Chemistry and BS in Oceanography from Humboldt State University in California; an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University in Virginia, and a PhD in Science Education (Earth and Environmental Sciences) from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. She’s pondering pursuing another master's degree, this time in Bible or Theology. So many things to study: so little time! Paula’s activities include cooking for large crowds of people at camp and at church; reading, reading, and more reading; quilting; pursuing the most excellent cup of coffee available; helping my husband develop our small farm. And teaching, of course! She’s loves listening to acapella music, and when time allows she enjoys hiking, backpacking, reading, quilting, and cooking. She hopes to raise and train a "pack-goat" to carry some of her load, so she can keep backpacking for decades to come. She also love dogs and dog training, and wants to train a therapy dog for work in local schools.
