Bringing Snakes to School Turns Potential Dropout into Passionate Student

At year's end, when it came time to determine which children should repeat ninth grade, the school counselor paid a visit to Vadim's home prior to notifying his family about the school's decision. The reasons behind the likely pronouncement were clear: Every morning, Vadim came late to school. Vadim was frequently absent, and was failing the majority of his classes. His teachers reported that when he did attend, he seemed uninterested and distracted. The teachers, counselor and principal met with the boy at different points during the school year, but nothing seemed to help. His parents were not responsive to requests to meet with school officials, but no red flags were raised: many parents are busy.

So when the counselor visited Vadim's home, she was shocked at an unfamiliar smell that permeated the small apartment. One room was filled with cartons, crates and boxes of various sizes. And Vadim's bedroom was filled with snakes. Some in cages, some loose, some large, some small and brightly colored. "Different snakes eat different things, at different times," he explained to his counselor, for the first time revealing his obsession to her.

Vadim was frequently tardy because he had to feed his snakes before going to school. Vadim skipped classes because he had to feed his snakes at different times during the day. And though Vadim was failing many of his classes, it was clear that he was gifted: he memorized the feeding schedules of each snake, measured amounts of liquids, and knew encyclopedic amounts of information about each snake for which he dutifully cared. Through practice he was carrying out a wide variety of challenging tasks, including mathematical exercises beyond his peer's abilities. "What a group of professionals, myself included, couldn't figure out after a year in the classroom, I understood in just one moment after visiting him at his home," the counselor confessed.

Vadim's situation was brought to the attention of municipal welfare authorities. At the same time, with this revelation, the school worked with Vadim to turn his obsession into a strength, with both sides making certain concessions: the school agreed that Vadim would be permitted to arrive late to homeroom in return for his promise not to miss any classes. Teachers were informed of his hobby, and were asked to make an effort to incorporate his knowledge wherever possible in his studies. And Vadim was invited to share the secrets of snakes with his peers at different school events. Teachers and students alike were amazed, impressed and fascinated by the wealth of knowledge this quiet boy carried with him. As a result, Vadim now attends school regularly.

Vadim was nearly held back, and had he been, Vadim surely would have dropped out of school altogether. Had his obsession been identified early on, a full year or more would not have been wasted. If what had been perceived as inability, apathy and dismissal had been converted to strengths at the start of the school year, he could have fed not only his snakes, but also a new passion for study all year long.