This school year, Harmony Science Academy teacher Ms. Ashley Keadle added a unique, furry addition to her class curriculum: an eight-year-old bunny named Toothless.
The new class pet helps Ms. Keadle teach her special education students a host of different skills, from caring for a small animal to building a rabbit hutch.
“He’s been a really neat education tool,” Keadle said. “It’s adorable to have a rabbit in the classroom and he’s fun to pick up and cuddle but he’s also really useful for teaching.”
Ms. Keadle said one of the most important lessons Toothless helps her teach is responsibility.
“It’s really important to reinforce responsibility and especially being able to care for something like a small animal,” Keadle said. “We feed him. We make sure he has everything needs everyday, we groom him. I think he’s got it pretty good for a rabbit.”
Ms. Keadle said her class was onboard from day one.
“First day of school I brought the hutch in and I figured it would be an all day let’s build this hutch that’s going to be our project,” Keadle said. “It took them an hour to put it together. I honestly love working with these kids and watching what they can do and what they can accomplish and that was just the first day of school, blew it out of the water.”
Now, Toothless and the class are entered into the Pets in the Classroom Habitat Contest. The class pet with the most votes wins a cash prize to pay for the pet’s continued care.
To vote for Toothless and Ms. Keadle’s class, head HERE.
