NOAA Teacher at Sea
Joshua Gonzalez
Aboard NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada
August 8 – August 23, 2025
Mission: Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (Leg 4)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, California Coast
Today’s Date: August 1, 2025
Personal Introduction
I am a city boy from the North side of Milwaukee. All of my education from kindergarten through my Master’s is from schools in Milwaukee and the greater Milwaukee area. I also teach in Milwaukee Public Schools and have done so for the last 20 years. When it comes to sports, I am a homer, and I am very proud of where I come from.
With that being said, I do love to travel and have new experiences. Many of the students that I teach come from the same neighborhood in which I grew up, which is not especially affluent. As a result, many of the children in my classroom do not have opportunities for experiences outside of the neighborhood, let alone outside of the city. Since they do not get to see a lot of the world, I make a point to try to bring as many experiences as I can into the classroom to help open up my students’ minds to the world around them. When they see and hear new unimaginable things, they begin to recognize that with education they too can go out and have adventures beyond what they thought was possible.
I wanted to start with this background as it shows how I ended up in the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program. Jumping out of planes, swimming with sharks, hiking up mountains, playing college football, traveling to five continents (and more) are experiences that I draw from to make education more alive for my students.
Another way that I try to bring new opportunities for my students into the classroom is through incorporating agriculture into regular lessons. I helped to turn my school into an agriculture specialty school and we pair with a public high school that also specializes in agriculture education to make a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade program.
I am sure that many of you reading this remember during Covid seeing empty shelves in the grocery store. For me, this was a startling sight as it was a first for me. It became clear to me that many people need to learn to be more self sufficient and supplement the food we have with what we can grow ourselves. To do that at my school we have made agriculture education a part of our regular curriculum. Many of my students eat a large percentage of processed foods, even when healthier and fresher options are provided to them. However, when they grow their own food, e.g. lettuce from our hydroponics machines, fruits from our “food forest,” and vegetables from our raised garden beds, they always come back for second or even third helpings. Providing them with real experiences in their education is affecting their lives now and, no doubt, into the future.
This is where I saw the Teacher at Sea Program fitting in. It is one thing to teach science and learn about the scientific method. I am looking forward to living it during my time on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada. The knowledge, skills, and experiences that I gain as a part of this program will allow me to positively influence students’ education for years to come.
I have been trying to prepare myself for this opportunity in a number of ways. I will be working the midnight to noon shift and have been trying to adjust my sleep patterns a little already. Of course that means naps during the day and staying up late. I think I kind of like this schedule, although my wife probably would like me not to nap so much 🙂 Another thing I am trying to be proactive about is sea sickness. I stocked up on various treatments, but hopefully I’ll adjust quickly on the boat. I was recently on a boat for the day in Alaska, but I don’t think that will compare.
Growing up in the city, you don’t get to see as many stars with all the street lights. I can’t wait for the starlit skies at night and the sunrise over the ocean. There is so much to learn and experience and my journey is just about to start.