What Are the Benefits of Using Animals in the Classroom?
- A classroom pet teaches students responsibility, especially if you make it the duty of the entire class to care for the pet. The children become aware that the pet needs regular feeding and the pet's cage needs cleaning. Each student gets a rotating shift on a weekly schedule so that all students at some point perform the basics of pet care. When the school closes for a holiday or on weekends, students can sign up to take the pet home to continue its care.
- A classroom pet or a visiting pet can provide an audience for students. Children can practice a presentation, read to or otherwise talk to the animal without fearing ridicule or an uninterested audience. They can build confidence practicing social skills on the pets and extend these skills to their interactions with other students. The interaction with animals can also discourage bullying because children learn to care about other creatures.
- Some children do not have pets at home. Many others, particularly in metropolitan areas, have limited exposure to animals. The classroom pet or animal visitor may be the only opportunity a child gets to interact with animals. A child who is excited about going to school to see the animal will be more excited to learn.
- Bringing an animal to the classroom allows students to observe and interact with the animals they study in person. A live demonstration of a reptile eating bugs, for example, can hold more attention than simply lecturing about reptile eating habits. You can plan an entire lesson plan around the animal. Talk about a rodent's tendency to burrow and have the children observe a hamster making itself a nest out of the bedding materials you add to the cage.