Part 2 of this series and it’s all about desk pet ideas for your classroom! If you haven’t checked out the first desk pet post, click here to read the basics: what desk pets are, when to use them, why they are effective, and how to get started. We also talk about communication and clarity when sharing expectations for desk pets in the classroom.
In this blog post, we go deeper into:
- how you can use it in your classroom
- desk pet ideas on how to incorporate this incentive academically and social-emotionally, and
- ways to keep it fun and fresh in your classroom.
The last thing we want is for this management strategy to become stale and be the same old same old.
NOTE: For the sake of this blog post and consistency, I will use the idea of “points” – you make use tokens, dollars, or any other currency or point system within your classroom. Please keep in mind that the term is interchangeable but the concept will be the same.
Keeping Desk Pets Fresh
First and foremost, in order to keep desk pets fresh and exciting, don’t overwhelm students with lots of opportunities to purchase desk pets. Stick to a routine day each week or monthly.
Don’t display every variation of desk pet erasers for purchase in the beginning. Select some animal choices and some accessory choices. You can have fun with this and stick to seasonal accessories or just stick to a rotation of varying erasers. Doing this eliminates the overwhelm of decision-making.
Here are examples of how your “Pet Shop Day” could look like:
Basic Shop:
- 4-5 desk pet animal erasers
- 2-3 food mini erasers
- 2-3 accessory mini erasers (e.g., rocketship, hearts, etc.)
Seasonal Shop:
- Pumpkins in October
- Candy Canes in December
- Hearts in February
If you don’t have a large inventory of different erasers, work with what you have! No one will know the difference and the kids will love the options that are there! If you’ve been collecting mini erasers for quite some time, you can also strategically offer mini erasers that are geared towards your students’ interests.
Lastly, consider how often you’ll rotate desk pet mini erasers. There is no right or wrong answer, you can rotate weekly or monthly but offer Pet Shop Days each week or every other week. I prefer to rotate monthly but I have a friend of mine who rotates her pet shop items every marking period.
Earning Points & Desk Pet Rewards
Once you establish a system or a framework for how students can earn points, be sure to communicate that with students and parents. A solid well-developed system can really formulate structure within this behavior management strategy.
What can you leverage as opportunities to earn points?
- Kindness Acts
- Participation
- Following Directions
- Following Rules in the Classroom & Outside of Classroom (i.e., in and around the school Building)
Brain dump any actions or expectations you’d like to add as an opportunity to earn desk pets and accessories. Here’s a starting point to think about:
- Being kind to a new friend – 1 point
- Completed their classwork – 1 point
- Differentiating points for students with behavior implementation plans
- Differentiating points for students having difficulty completing work
- Opportunities to earn points when they complete homework or turn in assignments
In the beginning, give students LOTS of positive reinforcement! Start off with easy-to-earn points:
- unpacking in the morning
- walking quietly in hallways
- taking out their pencils quickly
- listening to their peers when sharing work
Give them the feeling of success and gratification of earning a reward for themselves towards their desk pets. While also demonstrating the ability to earn points together as a class.
I recommend being consistent with this reinforcement for at least a month. It will support foundational routines and expectations. There’s now a baseline for how they should behave, work, and communicate with peers. Soon, you can gradually make earning points towards desk pets a little more challenging. Now when they go above and beyond, they’ll earn tickets points for more pets or desktop accessories, etc.
Using desk pets with older versus younger students requires a little more tweaking. With older students, or if your younger students can handle this or need this type of structure, try goal-setting and using incentive plans for your students. For example:
- First grade student – bright, sweet, and very social. But it is very hard for her not to call out, or talk when working independently or sitting near peers during a lesson.
- Utilize an incentive plan where her goals would be: (1) raise your hand to share and (2) respect learning time.
If she can accomplish those two goals during each lesson, she earns a point towards shopping for desk pets and accessories.
Desk Pets Take Up Desk Space and Distraction
There are a few options on where to keep desk pets. I give each student a little clear container to keep their desk pets. It’s their “home.” These containers with the desk pets and accessories remain inside of their desk unless it is a designated time to take out the desk pets. In a kindergarten class, the desk pets are in their “home” but remain in the “Desk Pet Area.” All desk pets are there, can be seen, but are not accessible for distraction while students are working.
If your students are managing their desk pets out on their desks and not being distracted, you can let them use their desk pets mini erasers during learning.
Be sure that the consequences are clear on what will happen when they are not following expectations. For example, if a student’s desk is a mess. Then the desk pet will take a trip to the “Vet Clinic” for a Wellness Check until their desks are ready for their pets again.
Students who are playing with their desk pet and not focusing on their work might need their desk pet head over to the “Pet Sitter” until they can demonstrate that they are focused and working. The “Pet Sitter” is really just the teacher’s desk or teacher’s area but the expectation will be clear.
If a desk pet is taken away for any reason, be sure to use this as a teachable moment. Discuss why the desk pet was taken away, what happens if it continues, and when the desk pet will be returned. (For my first graders, I return their desk pet at the end of the day.) TRUST ME, be very clear and specific about when they will get their desk pet back otherwise you’ll get questions non-stop, like a two-year-old on a road trip “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
Best Desk Pet Ideas
Here are some easy, little-to-no-prep desk pet ideas to incorporate into your daily lessons:
- Math manipulatives
- Fill up ten frames for counting
- Basic addition and subtraction
- Writing
- Research for informational piece (incorporating science)
- Using their imagination about desk pets’ lives, likes, dislikes
- Persuading to use desk pets school-wide
- Letter writing to a friend about your desk pet
- Breaks
- Go Noodle with your pet
- Brain break puzzles with your desk pet on your desk
- Reading
- Nonfiction reading on that type of animal
- Swap informational writing pieces
- Read out loud to your desk pet
Naturally, desk pets are an awesome motivator! Many teachers have used desk fairies. Your desk pets are a great alternative to desk fairies. They can also encourage a new and tidy desk too! If students cannot maintain a clean desk area, then desk pets will need to take a break from that messy environment! Once the desks is clear, they can go back! Desk Fairies sometimes just focus on one desk in the classroom but your desk pets can be a class-wide incentive with individual earnings. Each student is participating but not everyone may earn a point.
Desk Pet Expansion Kit.
In the Desk Pet Expansion Kit, there are academic activities listed and resources to accompany (e.g., writing paper).
No matter what you decide is best for you and your class, you’ll need to be very clear and articulate what the consequences are when students are not focused on their work, their learning, a lesson, or they’re playing around when shouldn’t be at the wrong time.
I like to have a schedule when students will be able to take out their desk pets throughout the week. During these times, students can have them sitting on top of their desks and out of their “homes” if they’d like.
I offer students the chance to purchase tickets for specific events that allow students to spend extra time with their desk pets (during non-scheduled times). Here is one example that I offer my students:
- Desk Pet Read Aloud
- Students can purchase this ticket and read out loud to their desk pet during independent reading time.
- OR the desk pet can join the student during a class read aloud.
Use interactive tracking of desk pets and their accessories. In the Desk Pet Expansion Kit, I provide:
- Punchcards
- Bingo cards
- Themed challenges (e.g., kindness)
I have a student who struggles to get started on their work. By the time they begin and get into a groove, the work period is close to over and the work isn’t completed. The Desk Pet cards offer visual incentive and motivation to get working right away and getting classwork completed.
Give students a great opportunity to learn how to be responsible with their belongings and extend the learning outside of curriculum – “teach” students how to be responsible for a pet.
Students can work towards keeping their desk pets’ “homes” clean, ensuring they have a variety of food and entertainment desk pet mini erasers. You can tie in chores such as keeping different areas in the room organized like the writing center or math center.
Be Mindful of Students’ Needs
Having a desk pet can support building classroom community and expectations. Regardless of what aspects you decide to implement, be mindful of your students’ needs. Some students will have an easier time earning points. Be sure to reward all students when possible and be keen to reward students that are making efforts (even if they aren’t perfect).
Be mindful of using the term adoption. I have found over the past year or so, that adoption is a term that some do not prefer to use; perhaps due to life experiences. Regardless, I have chosen to respect those feelings and use the terms pet shop and birth certificate.
The possibilities are endless. There are so many possibilities when it comes to desk pet ideas – including differentiating and pivoting when needed. Let your students guide the purpose. Is there a lot of competition within your class? Want your students to be kinder to each other and others? Use these goals as ways to cultivate your classroom community!
More Desk Pet Ideas:
- How Desk Pets Are Your Secret Weapon for Positive Student Engagement and Behavior
- Desk Pets | Why Add Them to Your Class This Year
- Desk Pets
If you’re not sure desk pets classroom management is for you that’s okay! There is a management strategy out there for you!
Are you a new teacher or new to a grade/school? Download and check the ultimate guide to your first year teaching for support in brainstorming some classroom room management ideas for you to try!
If you found this post helpful, or want to add extra ideas, we love supporting teachers – so please share!
Drop your favorite animal emoji below in the comments if you have your classroom management strategy already in place!
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