Our Classroom Pet!

This year we welcomed Jackson- a bearded dragon into our classroom! 

What an incredible addition it has been! 

 

 

The benefits that we've seen over the last few months far exceeded what we thought, when we agreed to bring a pet into our classroom! Thank you Sofia Oberg for so generously giving him and his beautiful cage/tank to Gan Camarillo.

 

 

Here are some of the reasons why we feel "Jackson" is so valuable to have in our classroom...

 

...His "home" brings the beautiful outdoors INSIDE! It makes our classroom more of a natural environment. An environment that children naturally gravitate towards,

...He is a "place" children can come to- to help them appreciate Hashem's incredible world. To appreciate the different creations and understand how he lives and what he needs. 

 

...He teaches the children responsibility. There is a Mitzvah in the Torah to take care of your animals, to feed them before you feed yourself! Jackson helps us fulfill this mitzvah! 

Jackson only needs to eat TWICE a week (one of the reasons we felt a bearded dragon would be a good choice for our classroom! Since he requires VERY minimal attention and maintenance!)

...Fine motor skills when feeding him! The children take turns feeding him, and must practice holding their hand very steady and be able to hold the tweezers with the correct strength! (not too loose- or the worm will slip out...not too tight or we might pinch the worm)

 

 He "breaks the ice" with new children and visitors! The Mommy & Me children LOVE to come and pet him! (specially when they are shy at first...this is a fantastic ice-breaker!)

 

...He helps break "fears" that some children have of animals! Some of our students were too afraid to even pet Jackson at the start of the year. Now that he is part of our classroom environment, and they see how gentle he is, their fear has gone!

 

 

 ...everyone enjoys taking Jackson outside to play once a week. They see how he scratches the hard floor, to "file" his claws!

 

...the children learn about why Hashem created different animals! Jackson eats worms or crickets! Sometimes we catch a cricket while playing outside, and we save it for Jackson! Its a lot of fun to watch him eat the cricket, or worm!

Gathering around Jackson on the rug in our block center!

Waiting for him to eat his worm!