- Megan Davidhizar acquired two rubber geese from her college students throughout her first yr educating highschool freshmen 16 years in the past
- She displayed them on her desk and different college students noticed the geese and introduced her extra
- Now, 16 years later, the educator’s assortment of geese has grown into the a whole lot — greater than she will be able to even depend
- Just lately, Davidhizar posted a video of her duck assortment on TikTok, the place it went viral, amassing greater than 4.2 million views and 10,000 feedback
Throughout Megan Davidhizar’s first yr of educating highschool freshmen 16 years in the past, she had two college students, Kelsey and Carrie, who have been finest buddies and all the time made her giggle.
As soon as, they gifted her a adorned define of their our bodies on full-length paper. One other time, after studying Romeo and Juliet, Davidhizar walked into her classroom after faculty to search out them on the ground, foam swords underneath their arms, pretending to be lifeless.
Then, someday, the 2 ladies approached Davidhizar’s desk, laughing.
“I wasn’t positive what to anticipate, however then they handed me two rubber geese — one with a tie and one with a coronary heart necklace. “They defined that they have been imagined to signify me and my husband,” the 37-year-old trainer tells PEOPLE solely.
“I assumed the gesture was very candy, so I displayed the geese on my desk,” she provides. “Different college students noticed the geese and introduced me extra.”
Now, 16 years later, the educator’s assortment of geese has grown into the a whole lot — greater than she will be able to even depend. Of all of the geese in her classroom, she hasn’t bought a single one; each duck has been gifted to her by a scholar or colleague. After receiving every one, she writes the title of the scholar and the yr on the underside.
Wendi Sparks
To show the gathering, Davidhizar traces up the geese throughout bookshelves and on tables in her classroom. Some college students “undertake” geese for his or her desks, rearranging them with buddies and even naming them. New geese are all the time displayed on her desk for a month or two earlier than being relocated to different elements of the room. Seasonal vacation geese are saved in her drawer and are available out throughout the suitable months.
“Similar to with my college students, I can’t choose favorites,” Davidhizar says. “Nevertheless, I’ve been gifted many nameless geese through the years — I’ll return from making copies and discover a new duck on my desk. Those given in particular person or with a word are somewhat extra particular since I can join them to a specific scholar.”
“Lots of people ask if I like rubber geese, and the reply is sure — however maybe not as a lot because it seems!” she provides. “I believe they’re lovely, however they actually imply extra to me as a result of they’re items from my college students. There are some very distinctive ones that stand out, although, like the large papier-mâché duck made in artwork class by a scholar’s older sister. After a couple of years of being of their residence, their mother requested what on the planet they have been going to do with it when she moved out to school. My scholar informed her, ‘I believe I do know somebody who would need it!’ And he or she was proper!”
She continues, “I even have a number of hand-painted geese and geese from college students’ travels, together with from Germany, New York Metropolis, Niagara Falls, Nashville and even a duck studying a ebook, which was given to me after I introduced my ebook was being printed.”
Just lately, Davidhizar posted a video of her duck assortment on TikTok. She had first joined the platform to advertise her ebook, Silent Sister, however being a trainer is simply as a lot part of her id as being an writer. Consequently, her educating naturally discovered its means into her movies.
“I wish to attempt to make individuals giggle and brighten their day, and that’s what I hoped to do with this video too,” she says, including how she thought it would get a couple of thousand views at most.
However to her shock, the video went viral, amassing greater than 4.2 million views and 10,000 feedback. Studying by means of the feedback, she says lots of people steered she ought to begin giving the geese away. However, she doesn’t assume she might.
“I actually love wanting again on them and remembering every scholar who gave them to me,” she says. “I even have a blanket with rubber geese on it, a glass pitcher, wind-up geese and tiny little plastic geese. Final yr, one scholar crocheted me a duck!”
“Perhaps after I retire, I’ll dump all of them in a pool and float round within the solar with them,” she provides with a smile.
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Whereas she hasn’t acquired any new geese within the few days since she posted the video, she’s already impressed many college students along with her newfound viral fame. “They assume I’m ‘TikTok well-known’ now and love telling me how I popped up on their FYP the opposite night time whereas they have been scrolling as an alternative of doing their homework.”
“Teenagers are superior; it is why I like educating them day-after-day and luxuriate in writing books for them,” she provides. “Even my most difficult college students have good hearts, so I used to be glad to remind individuals of the healthful issues taking place in faculties.”
“Lots of people commented that they might routinely inform I used to be a very good trainer, and that stunned me,” she says. “I would by no means actually considered my geese that means. I see them extra as particular person connections, and I suppose I neglect to have a look at them as a complete and replicate on simply what number of connections I’ve made through the years. It makes me tear up interested by it, truthfully.”
Wendi Sparks
By means of social media, Davidhizar provides how she’s been capable of keep related to one of many ladies, Kelsey — who additionally lately invited her to her wedding ceremony post-graduation. She’s additionally reached out to Carrie to let her know in regards to the video.
“Kelsey noticed my video when it had only some hundred views on one other platform and commented, ‘I really feel no less than partially chargeable for this.’ It made me giggle.”
“I do know the gathering has had a long-lasting impression on my scholar,” she continues. “I wouldn’t be stunned to find that a few of them have forgotten giving me a duck, however each time I run into college students years later, they inform me two issues: 1. They nonetheless have the word I wrote and gave them on the final day of college, and a couple of. They consider me each time they see a rubber duck.”
