My girlfriend recently took a few of my geckos into the 2nd grade classroom where she is doing graduate level observations and student teaching...tarantulakeeper said:I want to thank everyone for their comments. I really appreciate them all especially those that reference reptiles in classrooms. Gets me thinking about lesson plans, math, and all sorts of things. I have used tarantulas now for six years integrated into my teaching. We raise spiderlings and graph their growth. I have two cornsnakes (both nine years old) that are taken out once a week for 20 minutes, but are held only by two students. Students earn the right to hold them. We're very careful about washing hands before and after. My kids have always been very good about holding gently. They are much kinder to my animals than they are to each other. (ahh, ten year olds) We are in the middle of AIMS testing this week and next, so any new aquisition is on the back burner. And since we're nearing the end of the year, I may wait to add a gecko at the beginning of next year's class. or not.They are hard to resist. John
The kids responded wonderfully to the experience.