Smith has all her ducks in a row
AP English Language and Composition teacher Kacie Smith (pictured) has a classroom tradition that brings back memories for many students: Smith Stars. Smith uses rubber ducks to reward her students for good behavior.
Rather than being based on grades, Smith rewards students for good behavior. She hopes to reward her students for being kind people.
Smith’s reward system was inspired by debate teacher Michelle Porter, who uses an apple reward system. Smith made the idea her own by using rubber ducks.
Smith’s jar holds about 40 ducks within it. As students are selected as the Smith Star of the month, they get their choice on which duck they want.
September was junior Gia Singh’s month to be top duck. “It made me feel special,” Singh said. “Like, I was picked out of everyone, and the letter really makes it personal so it’s not just something random, but on purpose. It’s something nice to have and think about, through all the hard work we have to do.”
The goal of the duck reward system is to achieve a positive classroom environment where students feel appreciated. Smith hopes that the ducks help motivate students.
Each duck comes a personalized letter to each student which explains why they were chosen. For students, such as junior Haasini Busireddy, the letter helps add a personal. special element to being chosen.
Smith’s reward system also helps her get to know students more. “I like to see which duck each kid picks, because it’s not always the one you think,” Smith said.
She has all her ducks in a row. Literally.
The anticipation in the room is palpable. Students glance at each other across the room, whispering “is it you?” while shoulders shrug. They cross their fingers and hope. Then, she stands from her desk.
The class falls silent.
“Drumroll please,” she says.
“Let’s give a hand to our Smith Star of the month.”
With that, AP English Language and Composition teacher Kacie Smith hands one of her cherished rubber ducks to this month’s student winner.
It’s a tradition borrowed from a colleague.
It’s really about what I notice and interactions as far as the way people treat other people in class,
— teacher Kacie Smith
“Mrs. [Michelle] Porter does her Golden apples, and I thought that was a really cute idea,” Smith said. “But I didn’t want to do apples, I wanted to do something better [than her]. So, I picked rubber ducks.”
Held in a glass jar with anywhere between 30-40 ducks inside, the beloved Smith Star program isn’t an academic competition.
“It is zero percent grade based. I think that there’s enough awards for your grades,” she said. “It’s really about what I notice and interactions as far as the way people treat other people in class, or if I notice things in the hallway of good, kind people.”
With each duck comes a personalized letter to each student, explaining why they were chosen.
“I think the letter is a nice touch,” junior Haasini Busireddy said. “It’s more sentimental when there’s a personal element of why you were picked instead of it being random.”
More than anything, Smith wants to achieve a positive environment in her classroom where her students feel appreciated.
“It helps build a sense of community,” she said. “I like to see which duck each kid picks, because it’s not always the one you think.”
For junior Gia Singh, September was her month to be top duck.
It made me feel special and the letter really makes it personal so it’s not just something random, but on purpose,
— junior Gia Singh
“It made me feel special,” Singh said. “Like, I was picked out of everyone, and the letter really makes it personal so it’s not just something random, but on purpose. It’s something nice to have and think about, through all the hard work we have to do.”
Smith hopes the monthly rubber ducks will keep her students motivated, especially because the class she teaches has the reputation of being difficult.
“I hope to teach them that there’s so much more than just your grade,” she said. “At the end of the day, being a good human is really what matters more.”
Sindhuja (Sindhu) Pannuri is a senior entering her second year of Wingspan staff. At school, she is captain of the varsity debate team and President of...
