Open Discussion Forum

  • 1.  pets in the classroom

    Posted 07-17-2018 09:53 AM
    Hello there, 
    We are curious about having pets in the classroom. In the past we have only had fish as pets that we take care of in the classroom, which the children enjoyed tremendously. This year our Pre-K classroom would like to care for a Ginea Pig?  Are there any rules or concerns with having this type of pet in the classroom?

    Thank you in advance for your responses!

    ------------------------------
    NAIOKI WOOD
    Assistant Education Director
    Sarfan Early Childhood Center
    Newport News VA
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: pets in the classroom

    Posted 07-18-2018 12:57 AM
    Hi <g class="gr_ gr_48 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="48" data-gr-id="48">Naioki</g>!

    We applied for a grant through Pet Supermarket's Pets in the Classroom project. There is an application online, on their website. If you are selected, the children get to pick from 4 animals, fish, guinea pig, hamster or rabbit. We spoke to our licensing rep and she advised us to let the parents know so we could determine if any child had an allergy to any animals. Once we addressed the allergy situation and determined none of our children or families had allergies to animals, we designed our lesson plans <g class="gr_ gr_59 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="59" data-gr-id="59">according</g> based on a Pet theme. We talked about the choices and talked about care<g class="gr_ gr_62 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="62" data-gr-id="62">.Our</g> children voted and the hamster won the vote.

    Good luck in your journey to have a classroom pet!

    ___________________________________________________________________
    Hello there,
    We are curious about having pets in the classroom. In the past we have only had fish as pets that we take care of in the classroom, which the children enjoyed tremendously. This year our Pre-K classroom would like to care for a Ginea Pig? Are there any rules or concerns with having this type of pet in the classroom?

    Thank you in advance for your responses!

    ------------------------------
    <g class="gr_ gr_50 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="50" data-gr-id="50">NAIOKI</g> WOOD
    Assistant Education Director
    Sarfan Early Childhood Center
    Newport News VA

    ------------------------------
    Judith Behrens-LaRue
    ECE Education Coach/Mentor
    Bradenton FL
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: pets in the classroom

    Posted 07-18-2018 06:56 AM
    You may want to check with your local accrediting agencies regarding specific rules for animals as pets. Overall, guinea pigs tend to be well-suited for the classroom. There is a national organization that supports teachers with this. The grant is an easy application and although it doesn't cover all the costs associated with having a pet, it certainly helps. 
    Heres the link: https://www.petsintheclassroom.org

    ------------------------------
    Tara Guido
    Kindergarten Teacher
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: pets in the classroom

    Posted 07-18-2018 01:52 PM
    In Louisiana, we have specific Licensing guidelines that dictate what creatures can be in an early childhood classroom, so any programs that operate under those rules must follow these stricter measures.  The same is not true for "big school," which includes Pre-K for us, but it is probably wise to check your local guidelines.  The other item to consider would be allergies.

    ------------------------------
    Holly Dalferes
    Director
    George Cottage at St Martin's Episcopal School
    Metairie LA
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: pets in the classroom

    Posted 07-19-2018 08:47 AM
    Hello Naioki,

    I agree with previous posts that you should definitely be sure that your licensing regs allow you to have a pet in the classroom. You also want to be sure that none of the children will be allergic to the pet that you choose (as a child I was allergic to Guinea Pigs), their bedding (pine allergies), or their food (Guinea Pigs require hay).

    I am very pet savvy. We have gerbils in our classrooms. They make wonderful classroom pets, as they are "easy keepers", and are awake during they day. They generally do not have a "smell" as they are desert dwellers and do not produce much urine. You can use the recycled paper bedding, which most likely would be hypoallergenic for everyone. The only downfall is that they cannot be held, as they are very fast and "jumpy". However, they can be placed in an exercise ball, which the children find hilarious and entertaining. They do require an abundance of chewing material (cardboard) as their teeth grow continuously, and they need to keep them worn down.

    I would advise against Guinea Pigs and Hamsters. Guinea Pigs require special attention/diets, and a large cage in order to stay healthy. They also would not like being left alone during weekends. Hamsters are nocturnal (awake at night), and can get grumpy/nippy if woken during the day. They also tend to have an unwelcoming odor. 

    Best of luck in adding a new member of the classroom!

    ~Julie

    ------------------------------
    Julie Farmer
    Sweatt Winter Child Care
    Farmington ME
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: pets in the classroom

    Posted 07-21-2018 05:13 PM
    I wanted to give a shout out to guinea pigs as classroom pets for preschoolers.   We have had guinea pigs for the last 19 years at the center I teach at and they have worked tremendously for our 3 and 4 year olds.  They live around 5 years so I always find a good retirement home for them after about 3 years of service (if you believe in Karma they have probably had a bad past life and deserve a rest after being with young children).  They are friendly and respond well to children who love to feed them hay and other goodies.  We only allow grown-ups to remove them from the cage and keep them on the adult's lap as children pet and feed.  We have only one at a time but they would probably be happier with a cage mate.
    Only downside is the time and mess of cleaning the cage at least weekly.  I originally thought children could help with this task but it is pretty dirty work.  We have not  had issues with allergies...  Best of luck with whatever class pet you choose.  It seems like some of the children who have the most emotional/ behavioral  issues to work through are most attracted to and benefit the greatest from caring for our class guinea pig.

    ------------------------------
    Debora Jones
    Master Teacher
    Burrier Child Development Center
    Eastern Kentucky University
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: pets in the classroom

    Posted 07-24-2018 12:39 PM
    Having a pet in the classroom has positive and negative aspects. There are benefits to children and teachers who have a pet in their classroom, which make learning fun. I agree to check with requirements of your state and center's licensing rules first. Below, I have two thoughts for you to consider, which may help with the decision to have a pet in the classroom at the beginning of the year. 

    1) Wait and get to know your students and the classroom first if you plan on having any pet, even fish. Depending on how your classroom is set up. For example, I was in a center where there was nothing that could be done about the echoing noise in a classroom. Wooden blocks that were knocked down could be heard a few classrooms away, even with carpet. This was because of the center used high cubical divider walls and not real walls to divide large rooms. Uncontrollable room conditions, like echoing room may be too loud for some types of pets and make them nervous. Classroom layout and space should also be considered. Think about where the children eat for their meals, if there are windows that can open for air circulation, and the location of the heat vents in the classroom. The type of classroom the new live pet will be in is their home too, which means that their health concerns and needs also should be considered. Even the temperaments of children at the start of a new school year should also be considered. Some children may adjust easily to a new classroom, whereas some children may not take being placed in a new classroom very well. Although having a classroom pet would be a nice distraction for the children who have a hard time adjusting. Which leads me to my other thought on the subject to consider, why do you want a classroom pet?

    2) Think about the purpose as to why you would like to have a living pet in your classroom, and which type. How would this pet be used as a learning tool for the children, teachers, and families at the center? Could the pet be incorporated in lesson plans, used to teach social/emotional skills or explain and/or assign responsibilities and duties to children? Live pets are a great method to reduce stress. A method my mom when I was a child and my siblings and I were loud and not getting along, was to refer us to our fish tank. She would remind us that the fish in the tank are getting along, and we should be like them and get along. It was a simple reminder to calm ourselves and not bother others and be friends. The live pet in the classroom is also a great way to calm down the classroom, as the class will soon learn that the classroom pet gets nervous when the noise level raises. Then, like my mom referred my siblings and me to the fishes in our tank, loud voices, and noise people (children and adults) can always be referred to how their classroom pet does not like the noise and is their home in the classroom too. 

    Good luck with choosing a new live classroom pet.

    ------------------------------
    Catherine Kenson
    Dearborn MI
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: pets in the classroom

    Posted 07-27-2018 04:56 PM
    When I was in the classroom teaching preschoolers and kindergarten, we always had classroom pets. The children took turns taking the Guinea Pigs home on weekends and during vacations. One of the weekly classroom helper jobs was to feed the Guinea Pigs when it was snack time.  Many of my children had no pets at home and this was their opportunity to learn to nurture animals. 

    Another thing to think about when having pets in the classroom is that sometimes they die. The pulse side of this is that it can provide an opportunity for discussions about death, and the ways different cultures deal with it. Over the years, I had many families who were very grateful that their child's first experience with death was in the supportive classroom environment.

    ------------------------------
    Marilyn Shelton [Designation]
    Fresno CA

    [EmailAddress][Phone][Phone]
    ------------------------------