Various class pets can be found throughout elementary schools, but once students get to high school, the animal and education combination becomes more rare. At McClatchy only one teacher has an animal in her classroom, Elizabeth Coleman, who teaches molecular biology in room 54a. She has a class snake named Athena.
Athena was initially named Arthur, until one day she laid eggs! “Me, being a biology teacher, figured out pretty quickly that Arthur was actually a girl,” Mrs. Coleman laughs.
“I love animals and I think one of the big benefits of having a snake is it helped a lot of people overcome their fear,” Mrs. Coleman states. Although, it doesn’t help everyone. Some people still have to sit on the opposite side of the room from her. But, a lot of students who initially wouldn’t go near Athena are able to pet her by the end of the year. Mrs. Coleman further explains, “There are people that overcome their fear, like they won’t be the one to take it out but they will come over and just touch it and they are always surprised, they think it’s gonna be slimy and nasty, but they are actually very soft.” Overcoming fear is definitely a positive thing. As long as your newfound fearlessness doesn’t lead to befriending a poisonous snake.
Mrs. Coleman believes animals add interest and happiness to her classroom. “I’m always trying to think of different things that will kinda click for or interest different people. I like to have a classroom with stimulating things that make you think.” She used to have a floppy-eared rabbit who would sleep on people’s feet as she taught, and that really made the kids happy when the bunny would rest on them. Wouldn’t you feel special if a fluffy bunny chose to nap on you?
When Mrs. Coleman taught middle school she had baby box turtles, a rabbit, and a rat all at the same time. “Middle school is more relaxed. There’s more time in class to actually interact with those organisms and I think that’s really good for some people.” In younger grades there’s more time to work with animals and less time spent pushing information on the students. Middle school doesn’t go on your transcript and not every second has to be dedicated toward some curricular goal. “I think in high school it’s a little less of an emotional thing and more wanting to do anything you can to stimulate people’s interest in the subject,” she adds.
“I love things that stimulate people to ask questions, to think, and I think living things definitely do that,” Mrs. Coleman explains.
Seeing and interacting with living, breathing animals helps people have more respect for creatures and understand how they live. This fits perfectly in a biology class. But, what about in an English or math class? Mrs. Coleman concludes that,“I like them cause they make me happy and I think they make kids happy.” Doesn’t happiness belong in a Math class?