This fall, 58 red rubber duckies sporting the School of Teaching and Learning’s logo are landing in schools across the country. As part of a social media campaign titled “TCH Quackademics,” alumni from TCH programs were invited to request a duck for their classrooms. In under a week, the flock was full, and the campaign was underway.
When asked about the purpose of the campaign, Interim Director Dr. Erin Mikulec explained, “We wanted to connect with our alumni and highlight the creative and innovative ways they engage with students in their classrooms. You might say the idea of inviting them to host a red rubber duck to share their experiences just sort of took off.”
The inaugural flock has migrated throughout Illinois, but also across the country. Mikulec shared, “It was exciting to receive requests from alumni in Colorado, Texas, and Florida, in addition to the ones from all over the state. Apparently, one will be taking off for South Korea as well.”
The rubber duckies are flying off to a wide range of classrooms, some to preschools, others to elementary or middle level schools, and a few to high schools. In addition to core subjects like Math and Language Arts, the ducks will be experiencing instruction in dual language, special education, English as a second language, and intervention programs. The ducks will be active learners in every classroom by joining the students in activities such as working in the school store, coding robots, and even taking a trip to the Shedd Aquarium.
One of the first requests came from Theo Eddins, M.S. ‘16, who teaches seventh-12th grade STEM courses at the Regional Alternative School in Bloomington. Upon arrival, his students selected the name Rupert for their new classmate. Rupert became part of the class immediately and was involved in the students’ Lego Wall Maze project. Rupert was even provided with his own perch.
For the campaign, the alumni were asked to send in a welcome photo with the rubber duckie’s new name, followed by at least three more pictures of activities with the class throughout the school year. Stephanie Roberts ‘10 said their new classmate was a huge hit instantly. “I have the nicest class, and they are obsessed with Boggie Woggie!” Roberts said. Roberts’ students wasted no time incorporating Boggie Woggie into their activities, such as reading groups, a football draft, and a fun run.
At the end of the school year, the School of Teaching and Learning will celebrate the first flock in TCH Quackademics with awards and a duck race. All the alumni participants who submit the pictures and updates will have their rubber duckies entered into a live online race, and the winner will receive a prize for the class.
As for the future of TCH Quackademics, Mikulec stated, “The response has been overwhelming, and we are excited to see what our 58 rubber duckies will learn this year. We hope that our alumni network will continue to grow as we share their adventures, and that more young adults will become interested in teaching as a career.”
To learn more about Rupert, Boggie Woggie, and the other TCH Quackademics ducks, follow #tch_quackademics on Facebook (@TCH.ISU) or Instagram (@TCH_ISU).
