Animals do have many things to teach humans. Animals have many things that they can teach teachers. One thing that they do not have to teach teachers is the sound of the final bell of the day and the mass teacher exodus that immediately ensues. I wonder what teachers would think when they are trying to escape their confinement in the school building, if the doors were locked.

I have watched this exodus, having taught school in two provinces. Students are generally excited to exit themselves, but have to watch themselves or they will be tread upon.

I therefore suggest that The Greater Vancouver Zoo add an anteroom to their new Animalasium especially for teachers. Here the teachers could be briefed on how the enclosures for the animals are very similar to locks on all the exit doors at their respective schools. There could be slide shows demonstrating the teachorial panic by which they would be engulfed. Also, duct tape usage could be employed in such a way to show teachers how individual students could be duct-taped to giraffes' necks, so that the kid could see exactly what a giraffe sees. This would be extremely educational in that it would give the student a new perspective from which to view the planet.

In the afternoon the whole group could go to the Aquarium and students could be taped to the whales and dolphins, so that they could actually see what whales and dolphins do not see in their natural environment.

The whole enterprise has possibilities that have not been explored fully. If first hand experience of the animals is the goal, then I suggest we carry the whole thing to its logical conclusion. One student could be chosen at the zoo to be put in the wild cat enclosures and experience what being eaten by one would be like. That student could be fitted with a microphone in order to describe the experience first hand for those who were not lucky enough to win the draw. You can't beat that for the adrenaline junky student. What a lesson! I doubt very much that the rest of the students and teachers would forget that demonstration of animal behaviour.

I could go on, but suffice it to say, the teachers and the ZOO are not using this teaching device to its full potential.

Perhaps we don't have to worry about it though, because teachers are probably going the way of the endangered animals. The Internet and other new electronics will soon see to the extinction of the teacher. Then the anteroom would be utilized for the exhibition of this once necessary sub-species.