What kinds of classroom pets do you keep, and how well do they function as educational/love objects?

 OMG! I had a rat for 2 years as a class pet…she was WONDERFUL. My boys loved her! When she was at the vet to have some tumors removed, they worried about her…asked me to call the vet every couple hours to make sure she was ok. She taught them empathy and compassion…two skills they desperately needed to learn to use with humans…

 I would keep the pillbugs/sowbugs, fish, and snails from the FOSS units. The kids loved when we could use them in our investigations.

 we have an aquatic frog…we watched him grow from a tapole.

 I had a dwarf rabbit that I had declawed and neutered. He was a great pet except he liked to chew cords. The students loved him. He was gray so we named him Dusty (Dust bunny). Then a parent complained about allergies and we had to get rid of him 😦

 Hermit crabs

Pets are not allowed at my school.

I had guinea pigs..they are great because they will sit still on a child’s lap forever! Good to have 2 because they are social and get lonely.

 I, too, have an eleven pound rabbit who loves the kids. He has an awesome personality. I send a note home to parents at the beginning of the year requesting permission for their child to be around him. If all parents ok he comes to school. His cage is next to the book center and the students read to him. According to my boys Thomas the Train is his favorite. There a lots of teachable moments that revolve around him.

I have a bearded dragon. The kids love him! They visit my room every year just to see how he’s doing. 🙂

I have a pet frog, phineas and a beta fish, Bob. I want a rat or hamster but my principal is afraid of them. :0)

 I have a Russian winter white dwarf hamster. So sweet, and the kids ask every day to pet and hold her. She is in a glass aquarium with a screentop and never smells bad. They get so excited when she comes out of her little house. Puting fresh food in her bowl usually brings her out. You can get one at Petsmart for $20. And they have a 2 week return policy, so if you get one that tries to bite, or you can’t catch it to hold it, you can try again. I ask to see the babies they keep in the back. Easier to hand train. And their coats turn almost pure white their first winter!

 I have a ball python (Snuggles), a leopard gecko (Ike) and a baby bearded dragon (Lucky-she only has 3 legs and I adopted her on St Patrick’s day…the kids love them all…especially Snuggles!! Administration is not fond of them, but they seem to understand that it benefits the children!! : )

 I have 10 hermit crabs…nice, easy to care for pets! 🙂

I have 2 rats at home, they are very smart, can handle lots of being held, loving, and are social animals. If you get a rat, make some type of a pouch the students could wear. They love my hooded sweatshirts and will stay in the hood or pocket. I don’t think I’ll every get anything but a rat now that I have them.

 A beta fish, painted turtle, and we have painted lady butterflies in the spring…children bring a variety of critters for Show and Tell, depending on the season…we love them all!!

 Our classroom pet does not actually stay in our classroom. I have a Pomeranian, Zoe. Everyday I write about Zoe during our writing lesson. No one can copy me because they don’t have Zoe at their house. I also share pictures of her. When we are learning rules, like sitting still on carpet and using an inside voice, waiting our turn…etc….I tell them Zoe cannot come to school until they are able to learn the rules. At least once during the year, usually around Christmas, I bring her to school with me so the kids can meet her. Towards the end of the year we make a book about Zoe and her adventures. I let the kids decide pictures and clothes or props for pictures and then they write about them. (kind of like Boo) Now that they have the Boo stuffed animal I am thinking of having the stuffed animal be a traveling pet to do a journal.

We have a betta fish. Though it’s not a pet the children can snuggle with, it does teach them a lot about responsibility. Each child is designated a day to feed the fish, and it is marked on our calendar. They know that if they don’t feed him, he doesn’t eat–and they are using their calendar and name recognition skills to figure out whose turn it is!

We have a box turtle. The students love to be “turtle tamers.”

 I have a Robo Dwarf Hampster. My co worker got a guinea pig. We got a grant from Petsmart. It helps cover the cost of your classroom pet. My kids loved Mr. Fuzzi.  They took turns feeding him. One of their favorite things to do was to put him in his exercise ball!!!

 We had a golden hamster named Penny. She was wonderful. I can’t even begin to tell you how much my children’s writing was enhanced by Penny’s presence! As long as it is allowed, I will always have a hamster for a pet. It is fairly low maintenance and keeping it in an aquariam – the clean up is very easy!

We have a rabbit that I adopted from the Humane Society. She seems to like to kids, as she goes inside her box house when adults come up to the cage, but she comes right up to the sides when the kids go to talk to her. She has helped them learn to respect animals, as they know to be quiet and calm in the classroom, and not to poke their fingers in at her.

 I have a Map Turtle and a gerbil. At times we have insects and I bring in my fat tailed Geckos to visit.

We have a tortoise. He’s great as he doesn’t bite and can get away from the kids whenever the wants by ducking in his shell. He doesn’t run off and we can forget to feed him for weeks.