(no subject)

[nola_beast]

I'm a teacher (third grade) and I promised my class that if they collectively read 100 books before spring break, we could get a pair of class pets.

To my surprise, they actually did it (Judy Moody and Captain Underpants have a lot to answer for, in my opinion), so now I have to ask—rats or guinea pigs? Anyone have experience/thoughts/advice?

Comments

[nola_beth]

Rats are cuter than anyone ever admits.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bWC-BnC7IA

[nola_joshlyman]

Don't do it, man. It's really hard to find replacements with matching markings. And they will die.

[nola_beast]

I was sort of hoping the kids wouldn't be too observant...maybe if I went with albino ones?

[nola_beast]

They're as cute as mice, anyway. They're smart too, so I thought we could study them in a science unit.

[nola_joshlyman]

You'd have to. Someone will notice, and it'll be the sweetest kid, and it'll crush you both.

[nola_beth]

That's so fun!! You sound like a great teacher.

[nola_beast]

Speaking from experience, huh?

[nola_beast]

I try to be. Keeping promises is important to kids.

[nola_joshlyman]

Oh yeah. I understand why so many teachers go goldfish: less attachment, easier to match, you expect the loss.

[nola_beth]

And you taught them to love books!

[nola_beast]

Not much of a reward, though.

[nola_beast]

Or to force themselves to do something for profit.

[nola_joshlyman]

That's the conundrum.

[nola_beth]

I like my version better!

[nola_beast]

But at least it's March, right? Maybe they'll make it to the end of the school year, and then we'll be home free.

[nola_joshlyman]

You could probably keep them alive that long.

[nola_beast]

I do too, honestly.

[nola_beast]

Then I'll do it for the kids. So far I'm leaning toward rats.

[nola_beth]

But maybe that's not fair, not everyone finds joy in books the way I did. Maybe someone really finds joy in math (how do numbers work??) or robots or something and that's also okay!

[nola_joshlyman]

I've never tried rats. But I'm invested in their health already.

[nola_beast]

Some of the kids really embrace the math/science end of things while being bored with reading, but I try to keep a spark of interest in books alive by reading aloud after recess every day.

[nola_beast]

Not being eaten by a snake is probably a good start for them.

[nola_beth]

What do you read aloud?

[nola_joshlyman]

Somewhere a snake is going hungry, though.

[nola_beast]

Sounds like your class needs a new pet.