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Are there any rules that regulate what type of animals can be displayed with in the classroom setting?

I have successfully used animals in my classroom for years. However, I did not bring in animals without researching them first, especially about their social behaviors and needs. I always got permission from my administrators, some of them were not pro-animal friendly, but I always showed where in the curriculum I could use them (I taught middle school science). I also took an all day Saturday workshop offered from my region center on "Animals in the Classroom". This gave me a certificate that seemed to help convince my administrators that I was not just doing this because the animals were "cute". Also, do not forget to send a letter home to parents listing the animals that you will have in your classroom. I have only had one child transferred to another teacher who did not have animals, due to their severe allergies. I have also had to forgo some animals because several of my students had allergies to a particular animal (rabbits being the most common one) and it was easy to have other animals replace them. with. I hope this helps you with your decision.

The best advice I would give is to consult with the administrators and make sure you can bring animals to your classroom. Also, if you are given permission, make sure the parents are perfectly fine with the idea and no student is allergic to the animal.

I am interested in bringing a snake into the classroom. I think they are absolutely fascinating and can really help students appreciate them instead of giving in to the scary stereotype. I have heard that a lot of people are afraid of the salmonella that they may give to the students. Does anyone have a snake in their classroom? is having the students use anti bacterial gel before and after handling the snake good enough to protect them from salmonella?

I was curious about this as well. I know the classroom I am in has a classroom pet and it is a fish. When I was in elementary school we had a pet snake in the classroom. Obviously it was harmless, it was ball python who just sat in a ball under a hide anyway, but still pretty cool whenever it was out an about. I have a snake and gecko at my apartment that I would love to have as class pets for the students to observe as well.

I also think it's a great idea to have pets in the classroom. When I was in elementary school, my teachers always had pets. I'm not sure what kind of animals I would have in the classroom. I have never had a pet before, so I would have to look into it more. Any suggestions on classroom pets?

Im curious about this. I guess you would first have to check with your principal to see if it is allowed and if there are any rules and regulations about pets. I also agree that before bringing a pet into the classroom you should so your research on it. We wouldn't want any surprises. I think having a class pet would be great. I remember having a hamster as our class pet, we weren't allowed to touch it but it was awesome to look at.

It would really depend on the guidelines that your state, school district, or even specific school sets for you. I would advise speaking to your team members if you have any, or even to the principle for some extra clarifications. I could not imagine why a certain animal would be deemed as inappropriate, but I guess it never hurts to be safe!

I love the idea of bringing animals ino the classroom. The students are so excited about it.

I must reinforce the idea of researching the animals that you bring to the classroom, communication with administrators and sanitation. Keep the animals clean and well fed (not overfed) to minimize odors as well as disease probability. I currently keep 2 color phases of corn snakes, 3 ball pythons, 2 box turtles (Germ-X), fish and 2 rats in my room. In addition, I also have a variety of preserved specimens which I use in a variety of areas taught in High school biology.