Teachers' pets

I noticed today that a state teacher's group has a contest running for the "Most Interesting Classroom Pet."

It reminded me of my childhood. My mom taught seventh-grade life science, and if she couldn't find a caretaker during the long break from school, the critters stayed at our house -- hissing cockroaches, a deadly scorpion from Madagascar and a hedgehog. Then, there were the silk worms, a baby bird that ate raw ground beef and the usual hamsters, gerbils and Guinea pigs.

The Texas affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers plans to spotlight the winner of the classroom pet contest in the January 2010 Texas Teacher magazine. The federation will consider entries of exotic pets, including strange lizards or hissing cockroaches. To apply, send an e-mail to editor@texasaft.org by Dec. 4, with the following:

1) Your full name, district and school where you work, and best contact phone number.
2) Your pet’s name, plus a brief description of what makes it interesting and how the pet adds to the value of your instruction or class environment.
3) A photo of your pet attached to the e-mail.

Good luck, and let me know if you enter.