spoiled classroom beardie

[Jsw]

My guy has woken up from his long winters' nap, and he is ready to GO! He lives in my classroom in a Crossfire style enclosure, and we started out letting him roam during silent reading but he didn't really *roam* so much as sit still and occasionally dart here or there for fifteen minutes. Then he'd go hide in his cave.

Well, since spring break, we haven't seen him in his cave more than once or twice and he is either basking or "surfing." We've slowly given him greater freedom, and the students are very aware of needing to watch where they step when he's out.

Slowly the procedure also has morphed into the "dragon keeper" noticing that he is door surfing and asking to let him out. If the kids are working on something quietly or we're doing whole group activities, I say yes. The dragon keeper also keeps an eye on whether he appears to be cooling off (he turns darker and kind of wiggles into a pillow or corner) and puts him away. This means he's out and about about 2-4 hours a day, just cruising.

I've noticed, however, that this has kind of encouraged a lot of asking to come out. And there's going to come a time when we can't let him out during the day (I always let him out for an hour after school) and I worry that he will get frantic. I'm basically training him that "scratch at glass" = "get let out" and that's not always going to be true.

Thoughts?

 

[kingofnobbys]

Do you have a Recess Break as well as a Lunch Break in your school's daily routine ? Perhaps some trusted children could take turns and let him out in the pupil free room while the other children are out in the playground , or you could spend some quiet time with him during Recess.

Beardied dragons like routine, and he'll enjoy being able to explore the room under supervision.

Also perhaps your school could invest in a Colorbond style raised bed (like people plant veg, herbs , flowers in) about 3m x 2m that can stored standing up against a wall and laid on the floor when you have kids in the room with a MVB on a Komodo Lamp Stand so he can go to it and warm back up when needed.

I also suspect he may be glutton for attention, and really love being out and being petted and nursed too.

 

[Jsw]

Thanks for the input. Am I understanding correctly that as long as he gets some time to roam each day, he'll be fine if we can't take him out all the time when kids are in the room?

I wish my school could invest in something like that but since he's in my room by special permission, not requirement, and budgetary wiggle room is non-existent, I don't see that happening. :lol: Maybe a Petco grant could cover a small basking area for next year, though.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Thanks for the input. Am I understanding correctly that as long as he gets some time to roam each day, he'll be fine if we can't take him out all the time when kids are in the room?

I wish my school could invest in something like that but since he's in my room by special permission, not requirement, and budgetary wiggle room is non-existent, I don't see that happening. :lol: Maybe a Petco grant could cover a small basking area for next year, though.

I remember a teacher here who had a very sick class beardie who set up a GoFundMe acct .

Maybe you could run a raffle in the class to help fund it .... they are not expensive, maybe one of the kid's dads could even build one just for the cost of the ie materials ...ie eg pricing per panel .
https://www.bunnings.com.au/colorbond-1-79m-ironstone-fencing-infill-sheet_p0911050 , a sheet or 2 and some rivets and a handyman with a saw and a drill and it could be done in under an hour.

Some people set up portable swimming / wading poos for their beardies too for their floor time. One with a stiff plastic side wall about 12 inches tall might be just the go , and really cheap if it's a hand-me-down.