- I teach "at risk" students. Some of them have never had a pet of their own. I want all my students to experience that.
- It helps build a classroom community.
- I can use JJ for so many examples in math and science. Math- Volume of his tank, ratio of food to water. Science- Adaptations, camouflage, environments, the water cycle.
- He creates a high interest class job. Students behavior must be outstanding in order for them to be the pet monitor.
- I love animals!
I picked JJ, a Crested Gecko, because they are ridiculously easy to care for!
Here are the Pro's for Crested Gecko's
1) No heat or UV lights needed. Most all other reptiles need these.
2) Crested Geckos can withstand classroom noise.
3) Liquid diet- no live crickets- I just mix power and water, and that's all he eats.
4) No teeth!
5) He is actually quite soft, he kind of has a velvet texture, not scales.
6) Easy to handle, he loves to climb! He will walk from one hand to the other endlessly, and he can jump too. My kiddos love to watch him jump from hand to hand.
Here are the Con's for Crested Gecko's
1) Crested are nocturnal. These guys don't like lights and spend most of the day sleeping. So, he isn't super active during the day unless you handle him.
2) If they loose their tails, like mine did before I bought him, they don't grow back.
Want more info? Here is a link to a care sheet.
Start up for any pet can be costly, cages, the pet, food/water dishes, cage decorations etc... But, did you know that Petco and PetSmart have grants for teachers! You must have administration approval before entering. These grants help with the start up fees for classroom pets.
Do your research before applying!
Link for Petco Classroom Pet Grant- You can choose crested Gecko's here (Just saying).
Link for the PetSmart Classroom Pet Grant.
Finally here is a link to the Pets in the Classroom website. They might have more grants for your area.
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