DUNEDIN, Fla. — Robert Gore is a beloved longtime educator at San Jose Elementary.

And that was evidenced by the student applause when Principal Lisa Brown announced to his 2nd grade class he was this week’s Bay News 9 A+ Teacher.

"I love what I do. I love the kids,” Gore said. “I love the families. I love the camaraderie. I love my colleagues. I just love San Jose. I love what I do, period."

That love of the classroom has kept Gore at San Jose for 26 years. He started in 1997 and he says that love for the community wouldn’t have him go anywhere else.

"It's Mr. Gore's relationships with his students, and his families and his colleagues,” said Brown. “He's very invested in all of those people, and it's genuine and they feel it because he cares so much about people, his students, families and colleagues, they're willing to learn and go deeper with their education with him."

Gore focuses on the whole student.

He takes moments like story time for character building lessons on kindness and compassion, all while helping kids feel happy and comfortable in the classroom.

"Because if they're comfortable with me, then I'm comfortable with them,” he said. “And if I'm able to fill their buckets and they're able to fill mine, that's how we grow our school by filling buckets. Negativity does not exist with me."

Gore said it’s easy for him to maintain positive energy and keep the energy flowing in the classroom.

"I come to work to be happy,” Gore said. “I go home to tell my wife about my day. I go home to tell my wife about what happened.

“(I say) I launched a rocket today with the kids. The kids loved it! I built a house with the kids today, and they loved it!"