They were introduced to the world from teacher, Marissa Begay on Tik-Tok and since then everyone fell in love with them. We will be sharing some great Desk Pet ideas including how to incorporate them into the curriculum and tips for management. I think it might be fun to have the pet store available for viewing when students have free time, so they can check it out whenever they're finished the regular work, but only be allowed to make a purchase at a specific time. It can be used during transitions, as a brain break, used to teach literature and science, as manipulatives, behavior management and I have seen some teachers use it as an incentive to keep students desks nice and tidy. Get your Desk Pet Starter Kit and check out the following eraser bundles to get started! Second-grade teacher Brianna Price lets her students earn pet accessories so they can provide their new friends with food (more erasers, of course! Allow each player to choose a desk pet to place on the Start star. This one is fun because you can get a combo of animals and food. Im also loving the little containers that Ms. Luis has for her desk pets. Students will enjoy writing about something that they love! Mrs. Castro, a kindergarten teacher, created a ticket system. 2. One way to do this is to have them feed them. Before you introduce Desk Pets to your students, make sure you have a Desk Pet Policy planned out to go over with the students. Please note that this post contains affiliate links. Copyright 2022 Fun With Mama All rights reserved Privacy Policy Site Design by Emily White Designs. Creating a pet shop is another way to reinforce positive behavior in the class. And you dont have to stop at classroom rewards with your desk pets. Empower your teachers and improve learning outcomes. Also buy small plastic containers for storage on your students desks. You can order this Pet Store display container by, 2. It just came to me right then and there Desk Pets!'. Students will want to tell you all about their petits name, favorite foods, favorite games, etc. You can also discuss food groups and sort foods into categories (healthy/unhealthy, food groups, etc.). Desk pets are miniature animal erasers that are shaped like animals. This means that if you make a purchase using my link, I make a small commission at no cost to you. These Bingo Boards include 10 different themes. It is a simple reward system that is simple to implement and can be used in elementary classrooms up to middle school. There is a lot that they can learn about their animals. You can learn more here. You also might want to limit the amount of items in the pet store at any given time to make it easier for students to make their choice quickly. Youll just need to adjust the ways that they will earn rewards and modify your expectations to include these little learners. You can create a writing activity around desk pets. One of the cutest ways Ive seen to introduce Desk Pets to the class is to set up an adoption center (by @thirdgradefarmhouse). Curriculum-aligned resources to engage and inspire your class. If you are unable or uninterested in purchasing a container a small box would work great as well. I have seen teachers across that world use Desk Pets and everyone does it a little differently based on the needs for their classroom. New goodies delivered to your inbox every week! I release fresh, new content every single week and I don't want you to miss out! A post shared by A L L I S O N -TPT author (@teachfromtheheart8). Until next time, remember, just because you're a beginning elementary teacher, there's no need for you to struggle like one. So, now that we've covered the basics of what Desk Pets are, let's talk about how to best manage them in your classroom! I just released my Desk Pet Starter Kit on TpT! The Desk Pets program in a classroom would replace other kinds of rewards systems such as class currency or marble jars. Ill show you how some teachers are using their desk pets in this post to give you some great ideas to try it out in your class. Have you grabbed the latest FREE printables? At the end of the day, I want my students to put their Desk Pets away to minimize the risk of them getting lost or disappearing. I love the idea of Animal Control coming around at the end of each day to take the pets to the Pet Hotel for the night. Read the full disclosure here. You will want to rotate the items for sale to make the shopping experience exciting. But there are a few more creative ways that teachers are using desk pets in the classroom as well. For older kids, they should have a notebook or chart where they can keep track of their points and be responsible for their Pet Wallet. For the younger children, a physical item (such as a ticket) helps give them a better understanding of the concept. Consider using punch cards to let your students earn accessories and food items for, I just released my Desk Pet Starter Kit on TpT! Consider desk pets as a seasonal strategy (not an, 3. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news from our team. And of course, theyre a great classroom reward systemand option for behavior management in the classroom and a way to incorporate those mini erasers into your daily classroom activities. Some teachers make this part of a whole group lesson, and others have students earn the pieces to create their habitat. An easy, low-prep way for your students to earn their desk pet and habitat initially and then to earn subsequent visits to your Pet Shop is to prepare simple punch cards like the ones below. She sends this note home with the students and each student gets a desk pet and a plastic container for their pet. You might consider having other items available for purchase such as stickers to decorate their habitats or mini pet blankets made of small squares of material. Anywhere that you can purchase Desk Pets will likely have a different variety of food erasers. Incorporate the Desk Pets! Here's a brilliant idea from Miss Lower, a fourth-grade teacher. The ideas are endless! Were big fans of the math mystery pictures route, not to mention teaching number sequencing, skip counting, patterns OK, we wont go on. Mrs. Castros students next get to fill out an adoption certificate. I LOVE spoiling my subscribers! Nothing can get your students pumped up about persuasive writing quite like penning a few sentences about something they really want. ColorPop 50% off all lip products ends 7/31. You will also want to create a simple and engaging Pet Shop for your students where students can purchase accessories and food items (also small erasers). They tend to be even better writers when theyre passionate. Have them add some research to their pets backstory. Subscribe to our curated library of teacher-designed resources and tools for Get weekly info, freebies, surprises, & support. For storage ideas, consider jewelry or craft supply organizers. They can be turned into a fun reward system and a great incentive. A science unit on habitats could involve students creating a habitat for their pet. This post contains affiliate links, if you click through them I will earn a commission. Lets just say we get really excited about math! <<< CHECK OUT THE ULTIMATE AMAZON NEW TEACHER WISHLIST BY CLICKING HERE! You can find them at the dollar store, at Target Dollar Spot, or on Amazon. Use that to your advantage when it comes to adopting their desk pets. There are lots of ways for students to earn additional pets and other goodies. I started to think about how I could make tiny, cheap erasers fun. Even better, students can set their own goals or incentive plan! Or, combine this strategy with a specific unit of study. A worksheet to use when learning to link repeated addition to multiplication using arrays. It doesnt take much time setting this classroom incentive program up and you will find that the time is well spent! I'm talking about a fun container that will get them excited about earning this incentive. Your information will not be shared. Play continues with the next player rolling the die, moving their Desk Pet the corresponding number of squares and recording the shape that they have landed on in their graph. Babywearing =, Some might think I started all over again, diapers, Notes from an American South African If you have 25 students, I wouldnt have more than about 25 - 30 items for students to choose from in the pet store each week. After some research, it turns out Desk Pets are actually a positive reinforcement strategy I can get behind. The concept behind desk pets in the classroom is pretty simple. (So important!). This will keep this strategy fresh for your students and they'll look forward to what kind of a pet they might be able to earn next! She also discusses the rules and responsibilities of adopting a pet with the class. This includes their name, the pets name, the type of pet and the date of adoption. The 7 Key Elements of a School Crisis Plan. There are some great benefits to having Desk Pets in the classroom. If your Desk Pet store involves students earning and spending classroom money, you can incorporate math practice every time they visit the store. So grab some animal erasers, and lets dive in, shall we? This list of educational ideas is perfect for teachers to help students prepare for the elementary science fair. Creator of theR.E.A.D.Y. Looking for a brain break idea for your students that requires no additional planning and can be done spontaneously? You can find similar little desk pet containers here. Ms. Luis, a second-grade teacher, has coins that the students can earn for positive behaviors that they can spend to adopt a pet. Will you use Desk Pets with your students? Just click here to review, select Ratings and Reviews and Write a Review and let me know how this podcast is helping you inside your classroom! Youre probably going to label your students desk with a desk name plate, right? Should Schools Continue Offering Virtual Learning Post-Pandemic? Once students have their special Desk Pet, they will be responsible for taking care of it. Are you subscribed to my podcast? Not only can creating a habitat be a fun activity you can also make it a learning activity. This will also help you to notice what your students are really into and what the most popular items are, so that you don't I purchase sets of erasers that aren't very popular with your students. Set aside some writing time for students to write stories or biographical writing about their pet. Give it a try, these little guys are so much fun and kids just love them. Desk Pets are a new craze taking over TikTok and teacher blogs everywhere. Your email address will not be published. You can order this Pet Store display container by clicking here or on the pic below. Family Theme Preschool and Family Worksheets For Kindergarten. URSKYTOUS 60Pcs Animal Erasers Desk Pets for Kids 62Pcs Animal Erasers Bulk Kids Pencil Erasers UMIKU 100 Pack Animal Pencil Erasers 3D Desk Pet 70Pcs Animal Erasers for Kids Desk Pets, 3D Take 48 Packs Clear Small Plastic Containers 50 Set Clear Plastic Mini Cupcake Boxes Muffin Pod 24 Pack Small Clear Plastic Storage Containers 20 Pieces Round Pot Jars Plastic Cosmetic OULII Clear Plastic Jewelry Box Organizer Storage Slime Containers with Lids - 12 Pack Containers Free Printable Stick Puppets: The Three Little Pigs. Or in springtime maybe Spring Buddies are available such as butterflies or bunnies. Join the WeAreTeachers Influencer Network. If you want to create a pet shop with extra items that your students can purchase, then check out below links to my favorite desk pet accessories. You might want to limit the amount of time that students have to spend in the pet store, and perhaps only allow pet store purchases to be made on Fridays. Get a desk pet application for the lower grades or one for the upper grades: Encourage responsibility in your classroom with this desk pet application. The other part of managing desk pets in your classroom is going to be the amount of time that it could take for students to purchase accessories in the pet store. Use simple apps that help you do all kinds of useful things. Heres a similar plastic apothecary jar that they would look great in. Knowing that Fridays after lunch will be shopping time will minimize the questions and worry about when they will be able to use their pet currency. Youll be practicing literacy skills while introducing students to this new system. Plus, it also includes sports equipment! Offer ends 7/31.22, Allyson is an elementary language & literacy teacher from Raleigh, NC. Head to Target, of course Begay was in the popular dollar section of the store when she noticed a bag full of adorable erasers, and the idea for desk pets hit. I'm a HGTV addict, fashion obsessed, wine loving, Christian wife and mom of 3. I love the idea of creating an adoption center to get your students excited about earning their desk pets. Most teachers agree that it is a good idea to have limits on when the students can play with their pets. Paper Doll Template Weather Dress Up Seasons Activity. Children can even purchase toys for their desk pets. Hundreds charts are a classic tool for teaching myriad math skills. This post may contain affiliate links. Yes, Desk Pets can be used virtually! When you do introduce desk pets toyourstudents, consider doing so in the lead-up to Halloween, Thanksgiving, winter or Christmas, or Valentine's Day. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Note: Just be sure to check that the size is correct before you order. As an extra motivation for your students why not really put those desk pets on display. If you like this post you may also like these |, 35 Brilliant Classroom Management Ideas for 2021, Teacher Toolbox Create the Perfect One for Your Classroom, [] Desk Pets | Why Add Them to Your Class This Year []. Students will be thrilled to have 5-10 minutes where they can play with their pets, visit classmates pets and arrange their pets habitat. I hope you like this fun idea of adding desk pets to your classroom this year. In my head I was thinking that the erasers alone would not be enough to keep my students motivated, she explains. Sign up for our e-mail. Use a point system where students redeem their points in the Pet Store. Students can enjoy them like they would a real pet without the mess! Take your class on an educational adventure over multiple lessons. Then the label just takes it over the top. There are lots of places to shop around for Desk Pets, many of them reasonably priced and inexpensive. This a great introduction into the subject of habitats! Heres another super fun way to run your class desk pet shop. Would your students love to see all the desk pets they can earn displayed in this cute cookie container? This dress up activity for kids is perfect for creative play. A great way to incorporate those writing skills! Provide your students with the cards and a pile of desk pets. My simple solution is to put a bin labeled Pet Hotel by the door where students drop their Desk Pets (in their individual labeled containers) on the way out. Have you seen the new desk pet idea that is all over Tik-Tok? Explore resources by theme, topic, strategies, or events. There are 100 pieces in this pack. FOR SCHOOL ACADEMY, Beginning Teacher Talk Private Facebook Group, 4 Mistakes New Teachers Make with Classroom Management (& How to Prevent Them). Kids who are homeschooled, participating in distance learning or independent study can also enjoy Desk Pets. They will love imagining where their pet is from and designing a space that is just for their special friend. >>>, LEARN WITH LORI INSIDE R.E.A.D.Y. Find out why math vocabulary words are so important and how to teach them in your classroom. I have seen Desk Pets used in many ways, Begay says. Typically, desk pets are miniature erasers in the shape of animals and their related accessories & food items. Creativity knows no bounds with these cute little creatures. These adorable and fun critters are being used in classrooms all over for classroom management and positive reinforcement. If you love the coins, she uses you can find similar ones on Amazon. Desk Pets is a concept that originated on TikTok by a teacher named Marissa Begay. How Walt Disney Would Manage Your Classroom: Part One, How Walt Disney Would Manage Your Classroom: Part Two, How Walt Disney Would Manage Your Classroom: Part Three, How to Prepare for Your First Day and Week of School: Four Steps to Success. They really do become a special pet that students care for at school. If your kid loves the zoo, this zoo animal life cycle is perfect! Here are some realistic ones if you want to incorporate learning to count money and here are some generic ones. You might not have the space for a large habitat to stay out on student desks, so have students draw their desk pets habitat on a piece of paper. Which are fruits/vegetables? Are you looking for hints and tips for teaching handwriting in your primary classroom? You will likely find the most variety on Amazon, in bulk sets that come with enough erasers for every child in class, with some extras. Teachers are using these as a reward system where students have their little pets and are able to earn food, treats, and other desk pet accessories.