Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, December 19, 1994                   TAG: 9501170008
SECTION: NEWSFUN                    PAGE: NF3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TEACHER OF THE WEEK

Sixth Grade, Belle Heth Elementary School

"There's never been one day that I hated coming to work," says Robert Goss of his job as a social studies and physical education teacher at Radford's Belle Heth Elementary School.

Goss, who's been teaching for 26 years, said he hopes his enthusiasm for school rubs off on his pupils. "I love my job and I love kids. I hope they know it," he said.

Apparently, that enthusiasm is contagious. "Mr. Goss has a good, bright personality. He makes social studies fun, and always makes us feel good," said the pupil who nominated him.

Goss said there have been many changes in his 26 years in the classroom, most of them positive.

"Kids are so much smarter today. Because of computers and television, they just know so much more."

A native of Tazewell, Goss is married to a professor at Virginia Tech. He enjoys farming, horses, dogs and fishing.