Biology teacher in Pinsk brings a snake to lessons

Andrei Yanushkevich, a biology teacher from Pinsk School No. 16, decided to focus on visual aids: he brings an unusual exhibit, which lives at his home, to his classes, writes BelTA.

The idea to get a royal snake came to Andrei Yanushkevich spontaneously — he saw it in St. Petersburg at a bird market. At that time, it was only about ten centimeters long, like a ballpoint pen.

Ksyusha, as her owner named her, turned out to be an ideal pet — non-venomous, small, and undemanding.

"I often travel, and in such moments it's difficult to leave a cat or a dog — they require constant supervision. But a snake tolerates separation well. You need to feed it once or twice a month. For keeping, only a terrarium is sufficient, in which the temperature should be maintained at 24-28 degrees.

The only difficulty is finding food. A royal snake usually feeds on other reptiles that match its size, such as lizards. But it can also eat rodents; personally, my Ksyusha prefers them. It's good that there are stores where you can even order delivery," says Andrei Yanushkevich.

In his work, the teacher noticed that children do not always understand how reptiles are structured and often confuse them with amphibians. That's how the idea to introduce Ksyusha to schoolchildren first arose.

"I wanted to convince them that a snake can be non-dangerous and pleasant to the touch. The fear that many cannot overcome is expelled by this very fear. There is a stereotype that a snake is covered in slime, but its skin is dry and smooth. Most snakes have no smell. Reptiles have transparent and fused eyelids, completely covering the eye, so they never blink, unlike lizards, with which they are often confused. This is necessary to protect the eyes when moving in sand. Sometimes it seems that it has no skeleton, but that's not true — you can feel it too," the biologist explained.

According to the teacher, his classes are open, and the school administration agrees to such an experiment provided that the children are safe and not frightened if the snake escapes.

"For this, it is necessary to discuss in advance with the students how to behave and how to handle it so that the snake does not cause any harm. Although it is non-venomous, it can bite if squeezed. All lessons are conducted under my supervision, there is no risk," assures Andrei Yanushkevich.

Bringing such a "visual aid" to school is also not difficult — it can even fit in a small bag, where it feels comfortable in the dark. But in winter, it will be too cold, so a special container will be needed.

Does the reptile experience stress from so many people around? The expert claims no — there are only a few nuances.

"It's difficult for her to distinguish a human from the rest of the environment; she only reacts to touch, flashes of light, or sounds. I acquired Ksyusha when she was only a month or two old, and from an early age, I accustomed her to being handled so that she wouldn't be afraid of people. The only thing I ask children is not to clap or make noise, otherwise, Ksyusha starts to react noticeably, turning her head towards the source of the sound. But this does her no harm," he noted.

Many boys and girls gladly hold Ksyusha. Those who are not so brave can simply look and touch. The most frequent questions schoolchildren ask in lessons are: does she bite, is she cold, and what does she feel like to the touch?

Ksyusha's appearance in lessons always arouses great interest, as schoolchildren usually see such a snake only in photos or videos. This also has a good effect on understanding the material.

"Students are surprised, they start a lively discussion. Usually, it turns out that the topic of reptiles interests them the most. They themselves strive to learn about more dangerous or interesting representatives, trying to surprise me with interesting facts. In fact, this is not the only experience of using living objects in lessons.

Before, I also brought a hamster, a pet parrot, fish. The material is not perceived as dryly as plain text. This greatly helps in assimilation. After the lessons, the effect is always excellent; children actively engage," the teacher concluded.

There is just over a week left until the start of the academic year. And this means that Ksyusha will soon be going to school too — to be not only a visual example of anatomy but also to teach children kindness and a careful attitude towards nature.

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