Originally published in Interactions, Vol. 19, No. 3, 2001
by Lori Morgan
I first began incorporating animals in my classroom 5 years ago. As a first-year elementary special education teacher, I had a classroom of deaf and hard of hearing students who also had various behavioral needs. With my principal's help, I incorporated my Pet Partners® animals to visit once a week. I numerically charted decreases in behavior problems when my dogs visited. I designed and named my program "Best Buddies."
I have used my own Pet Partners registered dogs and cats in my classroom and the benefits have been enormous. The students loved to read or practice their spelling and math flashcards with the dogs. In my classroom you could often observe a deaf student signing their spelling words or a storybook to Amber or my other Pet Partners dog, Kayla. The dog would be sitting and watching intently, almost seeming to understand every word. The dogs sparked new enthusiasm for learning!
One student who suffered this severe tragedy would come to see Amber just to hug her. She told me "Amber makes me feel safe." She secretly expressed that she rarely felt safe in her life.
Currently, I am working as an Elementary School Counselor. Amber and Kayla have adapted well to this new job. They have enabled me to make faster and stronger connections with kids, and they also help me teach classroom guidance lessons by demonstrating skills such as patience and following directions.
The dogs have been incredibly powerful when I am working individually with a student. This school year 3 students lost a parent to death. One student who suffered this severe tragedy would come to see Amber just to hug her. She told me "Amber makes me feel safe." She secretly expressed that she rarely felt safe in her life.
Often, this child would cry and Amber would gently lay her head in the child's lap. As the tears fell on Amber's head she would turn her head upward looking empathetically into the child's eyes. It was like she made a connection to this child's broken heart. I was honored just to observe this interaction. Amber and Kayla have the ability to reach children in ways that constantly teach and overwhelm me.
Animals in the classroom are amazing. They can bring a renewed inspiration and excitement into the learning process. They can empower our students. I have also noted that my dogs helped develop self-esteem, responsibility, motivation, self-discipline and communication skills. What miraculous gifts animals can bring to our children!
