Today, 4 July 2022 (yes, for those readers in the US, the Fourth of July!), is the BD of my friend and admired colleague Dakota Durkee-Heim. I am so happy to give her a shoutout, because she’s one of those educators with whom nearly all readers would like to work. If teachers were at a school with her, they’d be happy to have her as a colleague. If the scientists among SET’s readers wanted teachers to implement their experimental intervention with understanding and fidelity, they’d want Dakota on their team.
Dakota isn’t one of those academics who conducts research. She’s one of the educators who implements evidence-based practices day to day. She teaches kids to read! She wants to know what to do to help her students. She interrogates Pat and me about effective practices and then implements them.
Beyond her teaching strengths, Dakota has many other great characteristics. Pat and I were pals with her late mother. We were close to her step-father. We watched her grow up and turn into a teacher with broad shoulders and compassion, with an overriding concern for helping her students succeed.
Dakota is one of those great humans who isn’t uni-dimensional. Not only is she a thoughtful teacher and a good friend, she fills many other roles (e.g., mother!) and engages in many other activities. She and Pat share an interest in gardening, for example; I can often hear the two of them laughing outside in our yard. Pat, says, “She’s so strong. She just digs out plants really easily.”
So, please join me in wishing Dakota a happy b’day!
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