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Hello!

My name is Hayley Krogh, and I am a pre-service teacher from Wartburg College in Iowa. I recently listened to a presentation about pets in the classroom, and I have been thinking about getting a pet for my classroom when I graduate. Does anyone have any suggestions of what type of animal(s) would be beneficial and useful in a K-4th grade classroom?

Thank you,

Hayley Krogh

Pre-Service Teacher

Wartburg College

Hello Hayley, 

I am a student from the University of Northern Iowa and I, too, am a pre-service teacher. I really liked your idea of having a class pet in your future classroom. I think it would be hard to select just one animal because there are so many to chose from. For example, if you wanted a simplier and less work type of pet, I would recommend fish because they are easy to take care of and cost efficiant. Fish would also teach your students to be responsible because they would be in charge of feeding them and making sure the water gets changed. However, I think a catapiller would also be an awesome class pet because the students can watch as it turns into a beautiful butterfly. I liked this idea because it is an educational class pet that students can continue to learn from. These are just two ideas that I really liked, but there are so many other awesome animals to pick from that I'm sure which ever you chose your students will love.  

Best of luck, Baylee!

Hi Hayley!

For my classroom I would have a pet fish, and each week I would draw a stick, and the name I would pick would be the student who gets to feed the pet fish in our classroom. I would also have a student who would volunteer or I would draw a stick with their name on it to help clean out the fish tank each week or every other week. The next would be a turtle, I would again draw a stick and that student chosen would be the student who gets to feed the turtle. Another pet I would have would be a lizzard, I would do the stick drawing routine because it is simple and there would be no arguing or fighting amongst the students. 

Hello Hayley,

My name is Tara Timmermann and I attend Missouri Western State University. I have also considered having a classroom pet in my class. I think it teaches responsibility and helps the students engage in something fun at school. I have mostly considered a guinea pig or a rabbit because they are actice enough to have fun wit, but can also stay in a cage when needed.

Hello Hayley,

My son is a teacher in northern Illinois and he did something I thought was ingenious.  Some of his students had pets that they got and then became tired of and didn't want to care for.  With permission, he allowed them to donate them to the class and all the kids take turns holding them, feeding them, and caring for them.  On my last visit, I was shown his classroom for the first time and was enthralled with the bearded dragons, fish and other critters he had.  It was my first time holding a bearded dragon and I was as engaged and excited as a teenager.  I guess the main thing is safety and ability to properly care for the pets and permission from the school administrators prior to bringing animals in the classroom.

Hi Hayley, 

I think a classroom pet is a great idea. It would be engaging for the students and would defintely make coming to school more exciting for them. My suggestion would be to find a creature that is low maintenence but one that the students can help take care of. It might be a good idea to give your students some options and then have them vote on what kind of pet they want! I would also recommend writing a letter to parents informing them completely on what having a classroom pet will look like and explaining how it will be beneficial for your students, and make sure all the parents are okay with it before getting the pet.

Hello Hayley

I think a classroom pet would be good for the students because it can teach them responsibility but with the students being so young I would recommend a pet that wouldn't be much to handle. A fish or a hamster would probably be best with the younger age students. When I was in elementary school we had a class hamster and everyone really enjoyed having it. 

Hello Hayley 

Never had a classroom pet in my school years, but i do think it would be fun for the students to have a pet in the classroom. It would give students a feel of responsibility. Maybe something easy to start off such as a goldfish, and work up to another type of pet such as lizards. 

Hello Hayley

I believe having a pet in the classroom would be a great idea, i would like to have a pet in my classrom too. Student's can learn about responsibilities with a pet in class. To start off I believe maybe a fish could be good to have as a pet. Students can't take turns feeding the fish.

Hello, 

I think that is  a great idea to have a classroom pet!

It is also a very important way to show your students about life skills and responsibility.

Depending on the grade level, but I think having one or two fishes will be a great start!

Hi Hayley!

I am a Junior at Missouri Western State University! I have considered a class pet for my classroom! The best way to go about this is to understand what age group you are working with and choose a pet that will be least distracting to you and your students. Hamsters and fish are my personal favorite for a classroom! I had bad luck with geckos so my opinion of them are biased! I think class pets make for great responsibilities and fun in the classroom! It's something the kids get to feed, take care of, and watch grow all year! I will definitely have a class pet in my future classroom!

How are classroom pets beneficial?

Hi Hayley,

I am also a pre-service teacher and I love animals! I think having a low-maintenance pet in the classroom is a great idea. Even a pet that the children can take home and take care of would be really fun for them. If you're not exactly content with having fish, maybe a hedgehog or hamster or mice would be a good idea!

Hannah

Hi Hayley, 

I'm a pre-service teacher as well, and I've always loved the idea of having a class pet in my future classroom. I remember when I was in first grade my class had a pet hamster and my teacher allowed us to sign up to take him home on weekends, which I absolutely loved! In the first grade classroom I'm in currently in for practicum they have a pet iguana, and the students absolutely love having him in the class. They take turns getting to feed him, and even are allowed to take him out and interact with him at times. I also feel having a class pet is a great way for students to observe an animal and observe the way the animal acts throughout the day. When picking a class pet, I definitely think the best route to go for a class pet is one that is low-maintenance. 

Shayna 

Hayley,

I am a preservice teacher and absolutely love the idea of possibly having a pet in my future classroom! I have a dog who is registered as an emotional support animal and I hope to one day have him be part of my classroom as a way of teaching responsibility, but also to help students gain confidence in different subjects, like reading aloud. There is a group of people in my town that brings certified dogs to our local library and does this. Not only is it great for the students, but for the dogs as well! I think that having a classroom pet would not only teach responsibility to students but it would also teach them to be compassionate to other living beings. As other people have mentioned, I also suggest getting an animal that is lower maintenance, especially for the lower grades. Good luck!

Caylie

Hello Hayley, 

I think having a pet in your classroom is awesome.  THe students will be able to observe how the animal eats and sleeps.  You can give students a job to help feed the pet.  The students can write about their classroom pet.  It makes the classroom feel like a their home.

Thank you.

Hi Hayley! 

I recently saw a 5th grade classroom with a pet hamster and thought it was an incredible idea. Each student was allowed to take the hamster home for the weekend, with parental permission, and write a report in a community journal on how their weekend went. All of the students took on responsibilities and loved having him around! Hope this helps! 

Hello Hayley,

The early elementary grades are my favorite students. I can recall a few different teachers having classroom pets in their room and having excellent experiences through them. I feel that they are a great idea and benefit students in a variety of ways. Some options I have seen and heard work well are any small animal contained in a cage or small space. This could range from a frog all the way to a guinea pig. Students love the opportunity to engage with animals and these are a few that would be safe within a young environment. 

Hi Hayley!

I think a classroom pet can be great to teach students responsibility and help them build a stronger community together! I would recommend a tarantula because they are relatively low-maintenance. For example, they can tolerate somewhat dry spaces and only need to be fed crickets once a week, which are cheap. You can also teach about some of their abilities such as molting during your science teaching. 

This blog post appears to have some information that you might find useful.

https://www.petsintheclassroom.org/spiders-in-the-classroom-oh-my-pets-in-the-classroom/

Good luck!