Chesterton Middle School Teacher Dave Bullock lives a double life. No, he's not a secret agent or superhero fighting crime, but something arguably cooler.
Bullock is not only a teacher but a businessman, entrepreneur, and inventor. For Bullock, innovation and creation are just one of the many traits he offers to the Chesterton community.
Bullock was born in Madison, Wisconsin with a father invested in teaching. Due to low wages teachers made at the time and the need to support the family, Bullock's father made the hard decision to move to Chesterton to pursue a much more lucrative career in the steel industry.
Bullock went on to graduate from Ball State University and then obtain his master's degree at Indiana Wesleyan University. Bullock was then hired to work at Chesterton Middle School, where he has remained ever since.
"I just finished my 21st year working here," says Bullock. "I have always taught Health Class but switched it up to teach Physical Education. It's always a good thing to change things up."
Along with teaching, Bullock's other life accomplishment comes from his invention of the Scribbleband, a wearable band that allows notes to be written on the band to serve as a replacement for writing on their hands and their arms.
"I always saw students writing notes and reminders on their arm and hands and always thought about giving them an alternative," says Bullock. "This is how the Scribbleband was created. I saw that silicon bracelets were also popular at the time and ended up just piecing those two together. "
After the initial idea, Bullock created the design of a wristband with different styles and colors, eventually taking his idea to be patented.
"Once I started, I was always interested in continuing to develop it," says Bullock. "I still remember going to a major trade show and being a bit nervous about being there with larger companies, but Scribbleband ended up being named one of the best new products there."
Currently, Bullock has sold nearly 100,000 Scribblebands with nearly 20 unique designs being offered for sale. As they have gotten more attention and been featured in popular retailers such as Walgreens, he has continued to refine the design and receive feedback from two most important sources: his family and his students.
"My students and my family have always been there to offer great feedback, mostly on designs," says Bullock. "Feedback is everything and I am glad that I have great sources of feedback."
While it may seem that the next logical move for Bullock would be to quit teaching and focus on his business full time, Bullock shows no signs of leaving teaching behind anytime soon.
"I love teaching and honestly, it's hard to walk away from it," says Bullock. "Right now I can juggle both. It's not the easiest thing in the world, but thanks to a pretty good family unity we have I know I can do it. My son, daughter, and wife are always a source of valuable support and feedback."
To find out more about Scribbleband, please visit their website.