Receiving this award is honoring, humbling, and inspiring. I am honored that people whom I respect view me with such esteem. I am humbled to be selected from so many talented colleagues and to represent South Dakota. And I remain inspired by my work. Once, I envisioned teaching just a few years, then moving on to something more important. Now, I realize that while many careers are more lucrative, few offer more creativity, variety, and opportunities to make a difference than teaching.

David Ireland Rapid City, SD | K-6, Science, 2008

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

David Ireland has been a sixth grade science and reading instructor at South Middle School since 2003. He previously spent 20 years as a science instructor and science department chair at North Middle School. Mr. Ireland is praised for having an intuitive ability to capitalize on spontaneous teaching moments, which keeps the class fresh and rewarding for students. He sparks students' interest in science and is valued as an innovative, focused, humorous, and dedicated teacher. He creates hands-on lessons that are both meaningful and engaging to students regardless of ability. He has a gift for making complex concepts understandable. Mr. Ireland is grounded in a strong fundamental knowledge of science and has a passion for the art of teaching. He has been selected as a consulting teacher because he is widely viewed as one of the best science teachers in the region and is a model for other teachers. Mr. Ireland is a member of the Building Leadership Team and Science Curriculum Committee and a mentor teacher/cognitive coach for Project SELECT, an accelerated teacher certification program for college graduates. For many years, Mr. Ireland worked as an advisor and instructor for the Scientific Knowledge for Indian Learning and Leadership (SKILL) program in association with the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He coordinated professors, graduates, and undergraduates who mentored SKILL participants in their research and science fair projects. His efforts resulted in many award-winning projects and students participating in the national Native American Science Fair. Mr. Ireland has a B.S. in biology from Augustana College and an M.S. in curriculum and instruction, with a specialty in curriculum and reading from Black Hills State University. He has completed the specialty certificate in reading and is currently pursuing a specialty in science.

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