Tardy the Turtle’s Instagram

If you have ever met Mr. Andreas, you know he’s a great guy. As a science teacher, Mr. Andreas has lots of cool stuff in his room, such as a magnetic Albert Einstein for paper clips, lots of human anatomy models, and a lot of posters. However, the best thing in Mr. Andreas’ room, hands down, is Tardy the Turtle. “I brought Tardy to class and my students loved him immediately. We came up with the name Tardy as a cute gesture to turtle stereotypes and their slow movement,” he said. Mr. Andreas doesn’t know Tardy’s gender because he’s still a young turtle, but Mr. Andreas thinks he’s a boy, so he’ll be referred to as one. According to Mr. Andreas, “…he is the only teacher’s pet here at Rosemont.”
Recently, Mr. Andreas made Tardy an Instagram account, and you can follow him @tardy_theturtle on Instagram. He has two posts right now, but more are to come. “A couple students in my Period 2 suggested the idea of creating a social media page for Tardy as a way of allowing students to see and learn about him on Instagram. I was not sure about the idea at first, but I’m glad we created it. Tardy’s Instagram page is followed by students, parents, and other social media influences… His page content is designed to be motivational with images and videos on Tardy with motivational quotes.”
As Tardy’s page continues to grow, the Instagram account is a way for students to connect with Rosemont, and hopefully, students can continue to be inspired by him throughout high school and beyond. “This page will allow students to keep track of Tardy’s growth and development even after they leave Rosemont, and get motivated once in a while through Tardy’s wisdom,” Mr. Andreas commented. Most of his students are very excited and are interested in following Tardy whether with their own account, in the future when they have an Instagram account, or with their parents’ accounts.
Tardy is a red-eared slider, scientific name Trachemys scripta elegans. Mr. Andreas first got Tardy in downtown Chinatown from a vendor setting up shop there. He said, “I came across a few vendors that had tiny aquatic turtles for sale, and after a few minutes of conversation and research with the vendor I realized that having a turtle as a class pet would be cool to try.”
Make sure to support Tardy and Mr. Andreas by following their Instagram page @tardy_theturle!