Unusual class pet helps kindergarten students learn responsibility, academic lessons

TAMPA, Fla. - There’s a member of Jessica Gormley’s kindergarten class at Bay Crest Elementary School that’s helping students with reading, writing, arithmetic and responsibility. 

Maui is a bearded dragon that’s become beloved member of Gromley’s class. 

"I always wanted a bearded dragon growing up," admitted Gormley. "I thought that it would be a great idea to have a class pet."

Gormley knows that children are naturally curious and took advantage of that by bringing in a dragon that could be held and cared for by little hands.

"He's different. I think that he just offers so much more than a fish would," she explained. "He needs plants and protein...he needs light...Right, now we're waiting for him to shed so we can do an observation."

Gormley weaves traditional school lessons into the subsistence needs of a class pet.

Those are some of the ways that Gormley weaves traditional school lessons into the subsistence needs of a class pet.

"We practice something at our school called 'PEARLS,' it's basically a groundwork for what we expect from the kids and "R" stands for responsibility," she said.

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The children in the classroom take on the responsibility of Maui's basic care; and with that care comes the real life lessons of learning about a living thing and how to keep him alive.

Maui is more than the class pet. 

Maui takes that roll very seriously as he plays the part of pet for the children who don't have one at home.

For other children, the responsibility is where they learn to shine.

READ: Cold-stunned iguanas become immobile across South Florida as temperatures dropped Christmas weekend

"Teacher's helper is one of the jobs that we do," said Gormley. "They'll come in and look at the checklist."

The students learn about observation by watchin Maui. 

That checklist outlines Maui's care and that helper becomes a caregiver for a day.

The entire experience of the classroom pet allows Gormley to help with the focus the children need for many different subjects.

"It's like having an extra friend in the classroom," she acknowledged with a smile.