Good Classroom Pets

Congratulations! Let us know how it goes. Corn snakes are great.

Aren't they? I'm very excited. This will be my first snake!

Corn snakes are wonderful snakes, and so gentle, and sweet, and beautiful. I love the idea that they will teach the students not to be afraid of snakes.

Let's hope the parents are ok with them, too!

That's a good deal on the snakes and equipment. As a high school biology teacher I kind of agree with everything written so far. It's hard to make a recommendation about classroom pets but I'm totally sold on the idea that animals need to be part of our education process. I teach freshmen (14-15 year olds) and I'm always amazed at their lack of understanding about what it takes to keep an animal in captivity - even by those who have experience with pets! I currently have axolotls (12), Japanese livebearing snails, guppies, snakes (5), a spider, hissing roaches and lobster roaches, grain weevils, leopard geckos (2), ghost shrimp and pond water. I constantly stress the proper way to handle the animals (usually, not at all) and that the animals are not toys. I get lots of visitors in my class and my small collection starts lots of conversation that might otherwise never take place.

Dick,
I'm thinking that I might want to teach bio! I'm currently mentoring a little girl in her axolotl project, and I teach her 30 minute lessons once a week.
It was a great deal. You should check out my pictures of the one I kept! I really like that this will teach kids not to be afraid of snakes.
I totally agree with you on the pet care thing. I'm constantly giving people advice on how to care for the pets they already have! I always do a huge amount of research before I buy a pet, and it annoys me when other people don't.

Abrahm said:

If your mom says no snakes, I'd go with the Leopard gecko.



Well, no one said they can't care for a newt, but if they are new to caudate care, a classroom wouldn't be the best place to learn. I know a few teachers and it's a misconception to think they have "plenty of time." Between classes they're getting ready for the next class, which might be a completely different subject than the last. During lunch periods they are eating, or watching the cafeteria or maybe getting printouts made. Teachers are busy, hard working people for the most part.

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Agreed on the time thing! I'm currently training as a teacher (early childhood and primary), and when we're out, there is NO time! (that is unless you're behind after the kids have gone)
Interestingly, we've just done a unit on this, so I've really enjoyed reading all your suggestions (I just wish we had salamanders and newts here!).

One thing that my lecturer had implemented (and that you might find interesting down the road once you've got one educated animal under your belt)when she was in the classroom as a specialist science teacher was a rent-an-animal system, where there were animals in all the classrooms (mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds, chickens, fish, rats, and a few turtles), and on the weekends students were allowed to take a pet home to take care of until Monday.

The way she had it working was a note would go home on Monday for the students who wanted a pet, then on Friday the student would be sent home with the animal, a cheat sheet with instructions, the food supply for three days, and a "sealed envelope" for emergencies (containing the teacher's phone number so if something happened and the pet needed a vet, she'd come and pick them up, or if the pet died, instructions to bury them in the backyard with a prayer and call her. Or if they couldn't bury the poor pet, call her.)
She had this program successfully running over a decade, and at the end of her time at the school, she offered students the opportunity to give the educated pets their "Forever Home", and got students to sign a contract stating that they'd take care of them until the end of their natural life span (one guinea pig made nearly seven years, and was spoiled rotten until the end of its days )
Anyways, as I'm guessing other people will reference this thread, thought I'd add in this program! (And when I'm out in the field permanently, I'm looking at turtles or axies or both for my classroom)