I'm just going to chime in very quickly because I think there is something that isn't being addressed here.
I would first agree that you absolutely cannot leave a baby beardie, or a beardie under at the youngest 1 year old alone for a weekend, as this is when they require multiple meals of live insects in order to grow to their full potential. You cannot "just throw in some bell peppers", as he'll obviously not eat them and it's not proper food for a baby beardie. And even on weekdays it's going to be difficult for the first year, as you'll need to feed 3 live feedings before you leave school at what, 4:00? Hopefully he'll eat 3 full live feedings by 4:00, my guys always eat their last live feeding about 2 hours before bedtime. Also, you'll obviously need his UVB and basking lights on a timer, allowing them to stay on until bedtime so he's getting 12-14 hours of UVB per day...
That being said, bearded dragons are very interactive lizards that actually do form bonds with their humans and enjoy time out of their enclosures to run around, cuddle, play, etc. And especially up to a year old you want to bond with him, and also get him used to being handled and held, basically just taming him. But having him inside his enclosure in school all day while you're teaching and then leaving him there alone at 4:00 or whenever you leave to go home, and not seeing him again until the next morning, then repeat all week, the point is that as a baby you will really have little interaction with him, nor will he get much time if any outside of his enclosure except from Friday night to Sunday night....
As was already very well said, a young child can be left alone without food, water, or any interaction or exercise and yes they'll survive, but is that really the point or the goal? I know several teachers who have pets in their classrooms (only 1 beardie, a lot of birds though) and they all consider them their own pets that also belong to their classrooms, but they go home every night and back to school every morning...Just something to think about...
I would first agree that you absolutely cannot leave a baby beardie, or a beardie under at the youngest 1 year old alone for a weekend, as this is when they require multiple meals of live insects in order to grow to their full potential. You cannot "just throw in some bell peppers", as he'll obviously not eat them and it's not proper food for a baby beardie. And even on weekdays it's going to be difficult for the first year, as you'll need to feed 3 live feedings before you leave school at what, 4:00? Hopefully he'll eat 3 full live feedings by 4:00, my guys always eat their last live feeding about 2 hours before bedtime. Also, you'll obviously need his UVB and basking lights on a timer, allowing them to stay on until bedtime so he's getting 12-14 hours of UVB per day...
That being said, bearded dragons are very interactive lizards that actually do form bonds with their humans and enjoy time out of their enclosures to run around, cuddle, play, etc. And especially up to a year old you want to bond with him, and also get him used to being handled and held, basically just taming him. But having him inside his enclosure in school all day while you're teaching and then leaving him there alone at 4:00 or whenever you leave to go home, and not seeing him again until the next morning, then repeat all week, the point is that as a baby you will really have little interaction with him, nor will he get much time if any outside of his enclosure except from Friday night to Sunday night....
As was already very well said, a young child can be left alone without food, water, or any interaction or exercise and yes they'll survive, but is that really the point or the goal? I know several teachers who have pets in their classrooms (only 1 beardie, a lot of birds though) and they all consider them their own pets that also belong to their classrooms, but they go home every night and back to school every morning...Just something to think about...
