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Remembering Sheila Dunston
Sheila Dunston, my friend and colleague, passed away suddenly in August 2005. She died far too young, but she left a legacy of individual accomplishment and systemic reform.
Sheila Dunston and I began our
work together counting gram cubes in
the basement of our school district’s
administration building. It was one of her
first days as the Science Professional
Developer for Community School District 16 in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. I
know she was wondering what counting measurement cubes in a dungeon-like
cellar to refurbish science kits had to do
with helping teachers, but she did not
let on. The next day, she was front and
center, loading and unloading FOSS
boxes from a 20-foot rented truck, but
she did not complain. She just changed
her shoes, rolled up her sleeves, and did
what needed to be done. That was Sheila.
Sheila spent thousands of hours
with teachers across New York City, at
conferences, in school in-service
workshops, and in classrooms. She just
wanted teachers to love science and
become better science teachers. On a
few occasions Sheila even ventured into
the wilds to do field work with teachers.
Mind you, hiking was not Sheila’s
favorite activity—she was a city gal. So
when we led teachers on a team-building
hike in the Pocono Mountains, and
came to a dashing creek that had to be
crossed, she paused. Later she confided
that she was terrified. Her commitment,
however, proved greater than her
impulse to retreat. She fought back her
fear and trepidation, took off her shoes,
and pulled herself across the creek on a
log, gripping with hands and feet like an
octopus. She did not recognize limits
for herself or for those she touched. She
led by example...with or without shoes.
Sheila and I worked together in one
of the poorest districts in New York City
with an entirely minority population.
Many demanded much of our students,
but expected little. Not Sheila. She
believed that “our kids” could learn anything and fought for them relentlessly.
Sheila knew that science education was
about learning how the world works,
but she also saw it as a vehicle for helping
children become thinkers and actors in
their world. As a result, Sheila helped
countless children and teachers push their
limits and discover their potential. She was
fiercely committed to the children and
teachers of her community and exemplified
“teacher” in the broadest terms.
Sheila was a master teacher, a pioneer
in the development and implementationof FOSS, a tireless science staff developer,
and a reliable, insightful colleague.
We
will all miss her, but we will continue to
be inspired by the memory of her zeal
and dedication to science education.
Arthur Camins,
Elementary Mathematics and Science
Director,
Hudson School District
Hudson, MA
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