thoughts on class pets?

[distaff]

I like Penultimate's perspective the best.

Classrooms today are chaotic places, at best, these days. With all the other pressures, the snake's needs will likely end up coming last. Just the way it is.

Meanwhile, the students are being inadvertently taught that haphazard care is an acceptable standard.

[gwentennyson]

Wow! Thank you everyone for all your input!

Leo DOES have a lock on his cage so I have that covered I will also make sure to keep his thermostat and any other important materials hidden away from the students.

I will definitely not live-feed during the day. I'm planning on Friday afternoon/nights so he has the weekend to digest.

[JoshSloane]

First of all, thank you for taking up the calling of teaching science. I teach college and grad school science, and I cannot even begin to comprehend how difficult it must be to educate high school kids. You are truly providing the foundation that provides thoughtful, creative and knowledgeable scientists for the future.

I think having a BP in the classroom is a great idea. You have obviously thought out all necessary parameters that must be in place to provide a safe environment for both student and snake.

One last thing that im not sure if others mentioned. You could possibly consider having all students who want to eventually interact with the snake get a permission slip signed by their parents. You can outline on this document, that however unlikely, they are aware there is a chance that the snake could bite them. Its unfortunate, but we live in a litigious society. You don't want a pin prick snake bite to turn into a lawsuit.

[GoingPostal]

I can remember two classes with pets when I was in school, 4th grade there was hamsters and after one school break we came to class to find they had produced babies, and eaten them, baby parts all over. In 7th grade science there was a snake which escaped twice and was never found and there was a rat and a gecko. One day a student had the bright idea of introducing those two, it didn't end well for the gecko. My sister is a school principal currently and she's taken home a guinea pig over summer which is a class pet and I've tried to help out a little with a fish tank in another class, both extremely poorly cared for. I'm not a fan of class pets since it seemed like they pretty much end up neglected, injured or stressed. I would think a ball python would be a poor choice for a class snake since they like it dark and quiet. A boa or hognose or something that is fairly active might be ok.

[JoshSloane]

I can remember two classes with pets when I was in school, 4th grade there was hamsters and after one school break we came to class to find they had produced babies, and eaten them, baby parts all over. In 7th grade science there was a snake which escaped twice and was never found and there was a rat and a gecko. One day a student had the bright idea of introducing those two, it didn't end well for the gecko. My sister is a school principal currently and she's taken home a guinea pig over summer which is a class pet and I've tried to help out a little with a fish tank in another class, both extremely poorly cared for. I'm not a fan of class pets since it seemed like they pretty much end up neglected, injured or stressed. I would think a ball python would be a poor choice for a class snake since they like it dark and quiet. A boa or hognose or something that is fairly active might be ok.

Come on now, one of the major tasks that we herpers have undertaken is to try to change the negative precedent surrounding reptiles in the community. Anticipating a negative experience with this class pet, based off of the poor care and husbandry provided by others in your past experiences is exactly the thought process that we are trying to change. The OP is obviously thoughtful about the proper care needed for a classroom pet, and taking the necessary steps to making sure that all bases are covered. If anything, this type of classroom pet is EXACTLY what we need in our schools. To allow youths to learn about and understand snakes from an educated and informed person, rather than sensationalist media or unknowledgeable people.

There is absolutely no substitute for in person exposure to different animals at a young age. I was lucky enough that my family valued owning and properly caring for animals of all kinds as I was growing up. Many children come from families that might have a bias towards, or inability to care for pets. This experience could very well change the lives in a positive way for kids in the OP's class.

If anything is going to change regarding how society sees reptiles, and reptile owners, we MUST expose people to these animals at every opportunity. Hiding our animals away, and insulating ourselves away from the general public only serves to more deeply entrench the misunderstandings and negative thoughts about the animals we love.

To the OP: If you think that you can handle the proper husbandry for this animal in a classroom setting, go for it.

[gwentennyson]

Come on now, one of the major tasks that we herpers have undertaken is to try to change the negative precedent surrounding reptiles in the community. Anticipating a negative experience with this class pet, based off of the poor care and husbandry provided by others in your past experiences is exactly the thought process that we are trying to change. The OP is obviously thoughtful about the proper care needed for a classroom pet, and taking the necessary steps to making sure that all bases are covered. If anything, this type of classroom pet is EXACTLY what we need in our schools. To allow youths to learn about and understand snakes from an educated and informed person, rather than sensationalist media or unknowledgeable people.

There is absolutely no substitute for in person exposure to different animals at a young age. I was lucky enough that my family valued owning and properly caring for animals of all kinds as I was growing up. Many children come from families that might have a bias towards, or inability to care for pets. This experience could very well change the lives in a positive way for kids in the OP's class.

If anything is going to change regarding how society sees reptiles, and reptile owners, we MUST expose people to these animals at every opportunity. Hiding our animals away, and insulating ourselves away from the general public only serves to more deeply entrench the misunderstandings and negative thoughts about the animals we love.

To the OP: If you think that you can handle the proper husbandry for this animal in a classroom setting, go for it.

Aww, your comments just made my day. Yes, I think that is my major goal: to expose these students to a reptile they wouldn't normally see, let alone actually LIKE. There are so many stories about bad snakes and bad reptiles that they hear about but I think this kind of exposure is really important.

I also think that class pets are a really cool way to connect to a science classroom

I have definitely thought about husbandry and will always make sure his temp and humidity settings are where they need to be. I will invest in covers for his tank. Right now, he's in a glass tank with 3 exposed sides. I will buy some kind of background to stick around the two sides and leave the front exposed, since it's a front-opening tank (with a lock! )

I also really like the idea about the permission slip. It will set the tone for the students that handling the snake isn't just fun, there are risks and responsibilities that need to be taken into account.

Thank you again!

[GoingPostal]

Come on now, one of the major tasks that we herpers have undertaken is to try to change the negative precedent surrounding reptiles in the community. Anticipating a negative experience with this class pet, based off of the poor care and husbandry provided by others in your past experiences is exactly the thought process that we are trying to change.

Oh, sorry I thought this was a thread for opinions on class pets? You seem to think the point of a forum is for your views alone. The class pets I have been around made an impression and it wasn't a good one, nor did having a snake in 7th grade science make any influence in my future reptile keeping. A class pet can be a great thing for education, but choosing a suitable animal, housing it correctly, having long term plans and safety precautions shouldn't be ignored because you think the world needs to be exposed to reptiles. A brightly lit, active loud room is not ideal for a ball python and could stress it out, hence why I suggested a different species.

[JoshSloane]

So you're essentially saying that because you personally had a bad experience with class pets, that there's no possible way that the OP could make it into a nice and positive experience for both snake and students? Your logic, or lack there of us flawed sir.

I spoke to safety precautions when I advised the OP to have permission slips signed by parents. She has already said that she will lock and cover the cage. I'm sure there are parts of he classroom with less traffic, or a back room where it can be kept.

[Aercadia]

Alright, I'm going to jump in here because this thread looks like it's headed towards becoming a multi-page personal spat over what constitutes a qualifying response to a post asking for opinions, and as much as I enjoy thumbing through internet drama, it's not actually helpful or relevant to OP, so let's wind it back around.

I'm going to be a first year high school science teacher in a few weeks and will be moving my BP into the classroom this Saturday.

Excellent! As the daughter of a former English teacher, and the birth-daughter of a current Math teacher, good on you for bringing your objects of enthusiasm to the classroom. We need more people like you, who have a passion for their subjects and a vested interest their students' learning experience.

It sounds like you've gotten some sound advice from other members already. The permission slip is a fantastic idea. The lock, also. I assume you have already gotten the OK from the administration to keep a live animal on the premises. Just a couple of other things to take into consideration:

I remember classrooms being cold af. Make sure snek's enclosure temps are not going to be compromised by ice blasting out of the AC. I was ridiculed all through HS, and still today, for wearing a coat inside if there is the slightest breeze. 78 degrees ambient is lovely. 78 degrees with a fan on is the arctic wastes. I can't.

Feeding on Friday and having the weekend to digest could be a good plan, but in the event of regurgitation, that's an unpleasant thing to come back to after it's been sitting for a day or longer. If you can feed before classes on Monday, nobody is going to notice that snek is being antisocial while he digests his meal in privacy. Nobody is awake on Mondays.

Ensure that the cleaning staff is not going to touch the enclosure. I have seen many an irritated teacher complaining about the cleaning crew erasing their boards, knocking down their posters, moving desks, etc. Make sure you don't have a Windex-happy character trying to clean the tank every night - I imagine that a wayward spray into the tank would be v bad for snek.

I was just wondering if there are any other teachers with BP's as class pets and how people generally feel about having BPs as class pets.

Not a teacher, but I distinctly remember 2 class pets during my sordid years of primary education. The first, in Kindergarten, was a clutch of eggs that hatched into chicks. I remember NOT CARING AT ALL because 1) eggs are not fun or interactive, and 2) when the chicks came out, we were not allowed to hold/pet/interact with them at all, and as a 5 yr old, if you cannot play with it, then WHY IS IT THERE. The second, in the 3rd grade, was a [rodent of some variety], and the teacher would assign a different student to take it home each weekend (with parental permission), it was sort of like a reward for good behavior in class. I remember being very excited when it was my week. And my mom being a lot less excited.

All in all, pretty neutral experiences, which is what I have come to believe is par for the peripheral aspects of the classroom during our educational years. I would take the age and maturity level of the student population into consideration when selecting an appropriate classroom pet. I think the chicks were great... but maybe for an older audience (grades 3-5). The [rodent] was fine. Snek as a classroom pet, for 9th graders? I think that's totally doable. At that age, they're going to have formed opinions about sneks, or regurtitate their parents' opinions about them, but BP is a slow-moving snek, interesting to look at, and not scary in the face. Not super interesting to watch for a long period of time... but your students shouldn't be looking at him for long periods of time, they should be doing their work. ;) And for those few brave souls curious enough to come back after school for some 1:1 interaction, after careful instructions about how snek should be handled, there's very little risk of danger - probably not going to bite, and the students probably won't drop him because of squirms like a Corn.

To the OP: If you think that you can handle the proper husbandry for this animal in a classroom setting, go for it.

I think this sums it up nicely. If you feel like you have enough control over the situation to make it a positive experience for your students, and a safe and healthy experience for snek, do it. Do the thing. Be the guy. Score the points. Win the object. GO TEAM.

[DVirginiana]

While I am all for getting kids to learn about snakes, I'm generally against class pets. The main reason is that usually the teacher doesn't really have that much time and energy invested into the care, which luckily doesn't seem to be the case with you. The other reason is that, by nature, you just are not going to be able to take care of the animal the same as you would if it were in your possession.

For example, there are going to be long periods of time when you don't know what exactly is going on with your snake... Going two days every week without being able to see or check temps just doesn't seem great to me. Also, how will you know what the nighttime temps are throughout the year? What if there is a power outage on a Friday evening during the winter and they don't restore power until Sunday night? I just feel like BPs are too finicky when it comes to temp and humidity to leave unattended for that long. Being in a separate building where you have no control over power, temps, ect. when you're not there could just end badly is all I'm saying.