Teacher Annie Pintler of Ridgefield, Washington, shows her fifth grade students their new classroom pet, an axoltl. Axolotls are a type of salamander native to Mexico.

Many elementary school teachers have enriched their learning environments with classroom pets that provide invaluable interactive experiences for their students. One teacher who has a very unusual classroom pet is Annie Pintler, a fifth grade teacher at Sunset Ridge Intermediate School in Ridgefield, Washington.

When Annie came across a post on Facebook from an individual who had an axolotl they could no longer care for, she instantly knew this was the classroom pet for her. An axolotl is a type of salamander, native to Mexico. The creature is an endangered species. “I knew I could build a whole curriculum around him,” Annie recalled. “What are axolotls? What do they like to eat?”

Annie adopted the unusual creature, and then gave her students the task of researching the species. The students named their classroom pet Creepy Buddy Aztec after learning that his species name derived from an Aztec word. Then they worked their way through the lessons designed by the creative teacher. The kids learned what an axolotl is, what they eat, and the origin of the species’ name. They also worked to create a satisfactory living environment for their shared pet. After the students concluded their study, Annie asked them to write a story about their research.

You can read more about this amazing educator in this online article from Katu on Your Side.

Students of fifth grade teacher Annie Pintler observe their new classroom pet, an axolotl.