My fourth grade class pet was a ball python for 12 years. I am now retired from teaching and "Wilbur" is no longer with us. Wilbur was a great pet in the classroom and was handled daily. The kids would actually line up when coming to class to hold him. (Since the classroom was a little cool over night, I think he liked warm hands.) When school started, he would glide into his flower pot and be gone for the day. Over the years, many students lost their fear of snakes. I can't say the same for the principal and a couple fellow teachers, who would ask at the door if Wilbur was in his pen before coming in.
Many good educational experiences began because of Wilbur. One was learning to use a balance scales to weigh him. We also weighed the mouse that would be his meal. Since we needed a container to weigh the mouse, we used Wilbur as the container. We weighed him before and after he ate and subtracted. It was fun to motivate kids to learn with Wilbur handy.
Balls are great classroom pets and push kids to learn in multiple ways.
Regards,
Pletch
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