I wanted to bring in class pets too give some of the kids experiences that they otherwise wouldn’t have outside of school. Lab mice were the perfect fit. Being that I am a first year science teacher, and creating an environment where students learn and experience new things, I thought it was a creative way to have something hands-on for them.
Taken care of a class pet has been a really positive way for some of the kids too show interest in something and put in effort to contribute to something. Some of the students have helped me clean the cage and enclosure. We have also been able to watch as the mice had babies.
One of the other teachers here uses reptiles to enrich some of the kids experience at school and the babies have been away to feed some of her reptiles.
Overall, the kids really enjoy handling and interacting with the lab mice and it has been a very positive addition to the classroom environment.
Mr. Bannister