Kris Jarnagin, a science teacher here at Lincoln East, has had a passion for animals and biology ever since he was young.  He has used his passion for animals to contribute to his everyday classroom routine.  Jarnagin believes it is important to show real life examples relating back to the course work he is teaching.  The animals he has in class range from a walking cat fish to multiple lizards, turtles, and guinea pigs.  Jarnagin revealed that most of his class pets eventually outgrow their former (usually residential) habitat and East makes a perfect home for them.  This more “hands on” way of teaching has made Jarnagin a student favorite among teachers and their respective teaching methods.  This past summer, Jarnagin brought two African Sulcata tortoises to East hoping to see them grow and live to be over 100 years old.  They are the worlds third largest species of tortoise and should start to grow large at about age 10.  The tortoises weigh less than a pound currently but are expected to grow up to 250 lbs.

Jarnagin believes it’s important to get the students interested and engaged in science and use animals to connect the curriculum to real life examples.  As a middle school teacher,  Jarnagin learned that most students aren’t as interested in science as they are in sports and other activities.  He found it very difficult to keep kids engaged with just text book work and lesson plans.   “The bottom line is that, as a teacher, you have to get kids interested in what they are learning.”  Jarnagin knows that their are students who aren’t interested in science and are just there because they have to be, however he tries to keep these kids engaged by combining his passion with everyday education.  Jarnagin notes how the science department as a whole tries to innovate and create new strategies to keep kids engaged in learning while still maintaining the curriculum.  It is important that teachers are putting the interests of students first and using that to shape their future curriculum.