In Lebanon, Oregon, my wife serves a dual purpose at our children’s school: she teaches gardening and assists in a fourth-grade classroom. When schools shut down due to COVID-19, it was only natural that we would take on the responsibility of caring for the class pet, Snappy, a Venus flytrap. You may wonder how a plant qualifies as a classroom pet, but considering Snappy’s ability to catch and consume bugs, it certainly seems like a valid exception. Currently, Snappy is perched on my 13-year-old son’s windowsill, eagerly awaiting the chance to snag a meal that might buzz through the open patio door.
As it turns out, various types of classroom companions exist, and they aren’t all as straightforward to manage as a Venus flytrap. Scary Mommy recently spoke to several individuals about how they are navigating the challenges of class pets. With many parents and teachers stepping up in the wake of the pandemic, a new role of zookeeper has emerged.
Case Studies of Classroom Pets
Take the case of Sarah Jenkins, whose daughter is in fourth grade in Queens, New York. Their class pet, a guinea pig named Chip, used to rotate homes over the weekends until the pandemic disrupted the schedule. Fortunately for Chip, he remains popular, and Sarah reports that he is back on a new arrangement. “We’re taking care of Chip now. The teacher has organized a monthly schedule for June, July, and August, and we’ll have him until school resumes in September. Honestly, he’s so adorable that I’d love to keep him, but other families want their turn as well. We’ll see what happens in the fall,” she explained.
Meanwhile, John Robinson, who teaches animal behavior in the Bronx, faced an overwhelming task of finding homes for numerous classroom animals. He successfully placed all of them before schools closed. “I took home two gerbils, a small container of eight discoid cockroaches from a neurosurgery project, and a colony of around 60 hissing cockroaches,” John recounted. Four hamsters, a leopard gecko, a bearded dragon, and a blue-tongued skink found new homes with various students. Luckily, they even created an Instagram account to keep up with their class pets during this challenging time.
Further back in rural Oregon, my son’s former teacher, Linda Parker, had to take in their popular classroom pet, a teddy bear hamster named Buddy. Buddy’s fame is so widespread that when I mentioned my article on classroom pets, my son, Alex, immediately asked about Buddy and wondered if we could swap Snappy for him. For a moment, I considered it, but with a cat and a dog in our household, I quickly dismissed the idea. Honestly, I’m surprised our dog hasn’t taken a liking to Snappy.
Unexpected Challenges
Some classroom pets were in the process of entering the world when everything changed. In Lunenburg County, Virginia, teacher Emma Collins was overseeing a science project of hatching chicks. They were on day seven of incubation when school closed, resulting in Emma ending up with 16 baby chicks. Fortunately, she documented the hatching process and shared it on YouTube, allowing her third graders to still engage with the experience, though she now faces the challenge of caring for all those chickens.
However, not all teachers were eager to take on the responsibility of class pets. This was particularly evident with fish. Laura Thompson, a teacher’s aide in Ohio, ended up adopting the class fish, named Goldie, along with three additional fish as other teachers were reluctant to take them home. “I have a good track record with fish, which is why I ended up with them. I think the others were ready to flush them down the toilet if I didn’t step in,” she shared.
The Future of Classroom Pets
The fate of classroom pets across the nation is still uncertain, but it appears that parents and teachers are joining forces to care for these little creatures. Many families are fostering unexpected pets and discovering that caring for their classroom companions provides valuable learning experiences and joy amidst uncertainty. In a related article, a mother in Brooklyn noted that her child’s classroom tortoise, named Spike, has become a source of comfort during the unpredictable days of quarantine.
We are grateful for the individuals willing to welcome frogs, gerbils, cockroaches, and even Venus flytraps into their homes. The hope is that all classroom pets will be safe and sound, eagerly awaiting their return to the classroom when life returns to normal.
Further Reading
For more insights on this topic, check out this engaging post here. And if you’re interested in expert advice, this resource is a great place to start. For a deeper understanding of related topics, visit this Wikipedia page on artificial insemination.
Summary
As families and teachers step up to care for classroom pets during the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of animals, from guinea pigs to hissing cockroaches, are finding new homes. Many parents are discovering the joys and responsibilities of fostering these classroom companions, providing valuable learning experiences for their children.