BALDWIN, N.Y. — This school year, more and more classroom pets are being incorporated into daily learning.
Educators claim that animals are playing a crucial role in assisting young children with developing coping skills.
In addition to providing social and emotional support, teachers from Long Island express to Jennifer McLogan of CBS New York that pets offer students practical opportunities to learn about scientific behavior.
Pearl the axolotl, a salamander, has captivated the attention of six-year-old Harley Gayle.
She stated, “I have the ability to jot down its activities, and I can also sketch them. However, if he ventures outside of the water, he will inevitably meet his demise.”
McLogan inquired, “What is he utilizing for breathing?”
“The gills,” Harley said.
In teacher Renee MacDermott’s classroom at Lenox Elementary in Baldwin, Pearl is among the five distinct animals. These include Oreo, a leopard gecko, Rocky the hamster, Onyx the fish, and Ruby, the pygmy hedgehog.
“A student mentioned that the hedgehog enters, and we have the opportunity to read a book to it.”
The student quietly reads to her, slipping Ruby into a little pouch on her lap.
“Ruby does the majority of displaying emotions,” another student remarked.
Ruby expresses her emotions through various actions, such as curling up into a ball, revealing her quills, and engaging in foot races with her hamster friend, Rocky.
“A student mentioned that we created mazes for the hamster.”
According to MacDermott, both humans and animals possess various means of communication that extend beyond verbal language. In some instances, this communication occurs through the acts of observing and watching.
According to MacDermott, animals cater to her students’ social and emotional needs while also aiding in their science education.
She stated that we possess animals from diverse habitats, meaning we are currently gaining knowledge about woodland animals, aquatic animals, and desert animals.
Composting apple cores and banana peels is a responsibility that children share.
According to MacDermott, the cycle ensures that he never needs to purchase new worms.
Oatmeal is being infested by mealworms, transforming it into nourishment for beetles. Meanwhile, students are cultivating pea shoots using hydroponic methods.
Pet Care Trust, an organization that provides grants to educators for sponsoring classroom pets, has reported a significant increase of 36% in the number of requests received.
Melinda Thomas from Pet Care Trust stated that they have granted over 230,000 funds, resulting in improved classroom behavior among teachers. The positive impact is not limited to animals but also extends to enhanced empathy and compassion towards their peers.
Additionally, they mention improved attendance rates and increased parental engagement.
Dr. Shari Camhi, Superintendent of Baldwin Schools, suggested the idea of administering quizzes to adults based on the knowledge of our young students from that classroom. She expressed her confidence that all of us, including herself, would likely fail such quizzes.
McLogan inquired of a student, “What would you like to do if it’s scared?”
The student requested assistance in making it feel better.
An immersive experience of life.
Fish are currently the most popular classroom pets, as stated by Pet Care Trust. Following closely after are bearded dragons, which belong to the lizard species.
