The Benefits of Pets in the Classroom

Pets are loved by many and are usually bought for companionship and fun. Although many people buy pets and keep them at home, they can also be quite helpful when kept in a classroom. They are fun to have around but they can also benefit students and teachers in many different ways. The benefits are both academic and non-academic.

When comparing the performance and general well-being of students with pets in their classroom and students without pets either in the classroom or at home, students with pets fair much better than students without pets. Here are some of the benefits of having pets in the classroom.

1.    Stimulates Learning and Enriches Classroom Experience

Having a pet in the classroom makes lessons fun for students and they will always look forward to going to school each day. Teachers also benefit as their creativity is enhanced. When structuring upcoming lessons, they can use the classroom pets as a reference point to teaching students. Lessons are thus more fun, engaging and students will grasp points faster.

As students continue interacting with pets, they also learn how to take care of different animals, what they eat, how much they grow and where they come from among other things.

Teaches Responsibility

Happy shetland sheepdog in the preschool

As students interact with the pet, they learn how to be responsible, they know they are required to feed the pet at certain times of the day hence they ensure they have food ready at all times. They also learn how to clean the pet and what is required to take care of it when it gets sick. To ensure every student has the opportunity to take care of the pet, teachers can assign different tasks to different students.

If you are assigned a task when you are extremely busy with academic work, you can ask for help with your assignments. You can have a peek here to see who can help you with your assignments. As students learn how to take care of pets in the classroom, they also learn to take care of themselves as well as other people. The skills gained will be beneficial for a lifetime.

Positively Impacts BehaviourTaking care of animals in the classroom requires teamwork. As students help each other in taking care of pets, they learn how to work together as a team instead of being individualistic. Students also learn how to socialize with other people unlike many who prefer to spend most of their time watching TV or using their mobile phones.

Students also learn to be empathetic towards the pet and this will reflect in their relationships with other students, family members, and other people. They learn to be gentle, caring and sacrificing when dealing with other people.

Builds Self Esteem

One of the main benefits of classroom pets is that it helps students build self-esteem. When students take care of pets, they feel a sense of accomplishment which is vital in helping them develop healthy self-esteem and this serves as motivation for them to keep getting better at what they do. This helps them be more confident even as they undertake other projects in school or outside school.

Having a sense of pride and accomplishments aids in maintaining a positive outlook on matters thus reducing stress. Many students who have pets in the classroom will have low levels of stress compared to those who have no pets.

Helps Students Develop a Strong Immune System

When students are exposed to different pets, they develop a strong immune system. They thus have a low risk of developing allergies

A girl reading a book little puppies

or certain illnesses at present and also later on in life. However, since one child is different from another, this may not be applicable to some students who already have allergies and other illnesses such as asthma.

Builds Enthusiasm in Students

Students with pets in the classroom have the motivation to go to school as they have something fun to look forward to every day. When the pet is included while teaching students, they also develop a desire to learn new things either through the classroom or by themselves by reading or watching documentaries related to the subject.

Conclusion

Having a pet in the classroom is not only fun but it can help both students and teachers. Teachers are inspired to get more creative as they try to find ways to include the pet in their next class with the students.

Students also benefit as they become more responsible. They learn to take care of themselves and others. They also develop positive character traits such as being gentle and empathetic.

Introducing classroom pets will motivate students to come to school each day and to learn more about the pet as well as how it relates to other subjects in their curriculum.

BIO

Sandra Larson is an Animal Communicator and Intuitive Coach. She loves learning about animals as well as taking care of them. With professional knowledge as well as experience with different animals, Sandra shares this information with many people through videos and other written material including blog posts

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