TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — When students step into Jessica French's classroom, they will see everything from dogs and cats to spiders and snakes.

“This is Blackberry,"  said French, introducing a spider. "She’s actually moving around right now. Blackberry is an avicularia, which is just a pink toed tarantula."

She introduces many of her students to different kinds of animals, giving them a new appreciation for some that get a bad wrap. 

“I think you’ll be a science lover when you leave,” said French. 

Most of her students already come with a love for science, especially because her main goal is to teach them what they need to know to become a veterinary technician. 

“I want them to be able to, the day after high school graduation, walk in and be able to state, 'I am a certified veterinary assistant. I am here for a job,'" said French. 

She knows what it takes to land the job. Before becoming a teacher four years ago at Tarpon Springs High School, she was a vet tech herself. 

Now, she is passing on her knowledge to the students.

“The foundational skills of working in an office with people, the social aspect, the communication aspect, all the way down to the medical terminology and the anatomy,” said French.

Students even learn surgical skills.

“This is Sponger. So Sponger is a synthetic medical cadaver dog,” said French.

They also use real animals.

“We do doggy day care every single day. Sometimes a dog comes in and they get baths like Duchess here,” said French. 

The fun class is a hands-on-learning experience from top to bottom. 

“Having the book and then a diagram and then a real dog that we can move and lift its leg and show, this is what the anatomy looks like laying down, it’s vital to this program,” said French.