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Education

C

Celeste

New member
I just read Rich's post about staying on topic, so I hope I'm not straying when I ask this question.
Okay, everyone probably knows at least someone who dislikes or just plain loathes snakes in general, no matter how harmless they are. I was just wondering how many people here ever give educational speeches every now and then. (Why do I need to know this? Curiousity, I guess:D ) Anyways, I can say that it's very fun, even though (since I'm only a lowely teenager) I give them to young kids. They are usually more open-minded to things. Adults, they just say "eww!!" Little kids actually listen, and there is a good chance that they will remember the good experience in later life and therefore remember that snakes aren't nessassarily "bad."
 
I dont get up infront of a group of people and give a class on "snakes" but I alwasy talk about my snakes to my friends and classmates... Im in college and It seems like the people of Kansas just arent snake lovers! but I am forcing them to realize that snakes (at least cornsnakes) are harmless... I tell them that most of the snakes that they will encounter are harmless snakes that are just minding their own business... it seems like I always have the attention of people when I talk about my snakes or just snakes in general... I have become the "Snake Man" at my church and any questions about the cold blooded and even warm blooded species are given directly to me... I do agree that young kids seem to be more open then the young kids moms but what can I say!!! its society that has made snakes look so bad... I blame it all on propaganda!
 
I go to my kids school and talk to classes. Word is getting out and I am starting to get more requests:) It's a lot of fun and I really like seeing the kids that start out afraid come up after and ask to hold or touch one of the snakes. Your not only educating the kids but the teachers too. The kids take the info home to parents so you never know who will end up being educated:D
 
This is something I'd like to do - the trouble is I only have one baby corn :(

My mum childminds so I often show it to her kids, they like it!

But soon, when Suzy is bigger I'm bound to get him a friend, so will then approach groups of people and show them that snakes are lovely creatures.

People always find it interesting when it comes up in a drunken chat in a pub ... but then again I haven't pulled anyone in a while :mad:

A
 
It's show 'n' tell time!

I started last year going to my son's class and giving a little talk about corn snakes in particular, since that is all I've got. I've discussed it with his Third Grade teacher this year at a recent Parent/Teacher's Conference and she's agreed to let me do it again with her class. Unfortunately, and necessarily, I have to ask each teacher first, if they, or any of their students in the class are frightened by snakes--That is to say, put into a state of panic.
I also require that I be asked to give my talk during a time when the class is involved in Nature Studies, or studies of dinosaurs. That way, it makes the classwork more interesting for the children. I'd love to have some turtles to include, but I don't have any of them--so far. My son already wants a Red-eared Slider, a Soft-Shelled, and an Aligator Snapper for our Koi pond, as soon as I get it back on line.

...Kids!:rolleyes:
 
I used to do some classroom stuff a couple of years ago...had a pair of ball pythons at the time in addition to my corns which was neat to show the differences...sometimes I would borrow a friend's red tail as well - plus a "meatier" snake is generally better with kids touching it. I always took along a couple bottles of alcogel and drove home the whole clean your hands bit home.

Always had positive comments afterwards, some of the kids parents came to the presentations which was neat. I managed to convert a number of "terrified" people to the point of at least being able to stand next to a reptile and touch it...some even handled on their own after a while.

Educating the public is a necessary thing if our hobby is going to continue to flourish. The less negative minds out there, the better. I've converted 3 people here at work because when I pick up new arrivals from my mailbox, they sit in my cube with me for the rest of the day...and when people walk by and see a critter keeper, they wonder what the hell is in there. When they see me pull out a hatchling snake, they begin to realize that something that small can't do a thing to hurt them and they start to become more open-minded....I even have a couple of people who have asked for a hatchling this year :)
 
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