Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got A call from our High School this morning to come get a snake supposedly a Cobra out of a class room , the Room was really a out building ,like a portable office building , and so I went and got it and I can see how the hatred of snakes sped , this was a science class and the teacher was on top of his desk and told me it was a Cobra . He had the hole darn place in a panic , after I got there and had all ready caught it the police showed up and said they got a 911 call about a Cobra louse in a class room . Now that a bunch of crap ,I was so mad , I told the Principal that it know wonder most of the kid are stupid look at what they hire for teachers , A science teacher that can’t tell the difference between a Eastern Hognose or sometimes called a Spreading Adder and a Cobra . We need to do all we can to help Educate the public and help stop the hatred . David of DS Reptile Rescue , Removal & Rehabilitation

Easy there buddy... our education system isn't perfect by any means, but to generalize the lackings on the quality of all teachers is a stretch. As a science teacher myself, and rabid reptile enthusiast, I kind of take offense at that remark. Maybe if teachers were paid decent salaries (I'm making $29k this year), rather than almost janitorial salaries, there would be more retention of quality educators. I myself have, over this past academic year, occasionally sat back after a particularly grueling day and thought to myself "Is it really worth it?"

Just because someone teaches science doesn't mean that person has a firm grasp of what science truly is. If all science teachers did, there would be no debate in this country about evolution education, etc. Alas, in many schools, we simply throw our science classes to the coaches so the school can save a bit of money.

Just keep in mind, there are good science teachers out there who are doing their parts to educate students on the ecological importance of snakes and all other creatures on this planet. Unfortunately, until we can improve things, there will always be just as many bad teachers.
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Chance Duncan
www.rivervalleyexotics.com

Yes yes , you made my point for me , there are so few good ones in any subject , every time I meet a really good one they leave and go to work in the privet sector so they can afford to live . Teachers are what shape the future of our country and should be paid a lot better wage before this country is being ran by people who were past do to there age and not there IQ. David

David,

There is little I can add to this discussion beyond Chance's eloquent remarks but I think what you are saying is as dangerous as the words of the teacher.

In the first place, I can't imagine that the required curriculum of a science teacher would include identifying many hundred species of snakes. Please don't bash the teachers and then back up and blame the system. That hurts and only helps to drive the good teachers like Chance out of the system.

Secondly, you lumping all teachers into one group and blaming them for poor education of our youth, is as bad as the teacher lumping all snakes into one category and setting off hysteria.

Third, don't forget that many people are scared of snakes. You can blame that on anything from ignorance to the Bible and Adam and Eve.

Lastly, you missed a golden opportunity to ask the science teacher if you can bring some reptiles to class one day and help educate the kids about reptiles. The best way to beat the fear of reptiles is to educate.

Just my very personal 2 cents worth

Ginger

I am sorry if I offended any one and I did use a little more tacked when talking to them ,I just shortened it up for the post ,and as for the golden opportunity ,I didn’t miss any thing , they asked me to come back and give a demo and talk to the kids and staff . I probably should have stated it different but I had to vent . And I don’t expect everyone to have such a bad since of humor about what I thought was so funny , I guess you had to be there . I can understand them not knowing what it was but a Cobra ???? We are a mostly rowel and these people have been seeing these snakes for years and after I about it they were saying O-I’ve seen those out side at home and other things but the hysteria had already taken hold and blinded them . David

>>I can understand them not knowing what it was but a Cobra ????

I assume you've seen them do this before:

We just had a post on another board about someone who had the local fire department come out and identify a snake in their yard as a cobra. The description? Dark blue with an orange belly... Probably a ringneck snake.

The media frenzy lately about how any 6-year-old can order cobras over the internet is probably partly to blame...
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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

Yes I have seen that , as I had already posted it was flattened out when I got there and it was being prodded with a yard stick and it still didn’t come close to being a cobra . David