Instructions
Schedule a visit from an animal handler or someone with a pet that is trained for public visitations. If you are not ready to devote your time to having an animal full-time, you can arrange for a brief visit. Not only will this be exciting for children, they will learn how the animal is cared for and other facts about it.
Develop a list of rules that the students must follow when handling the class pet (or a pet that is visiting). Explain why these rules are important to the well-being of the pet. Understanding the reasons for the rules will motivate the children to abide by them. This in turn can help your students abide by other classroom rules as well.
Assign a regular maintenance schedule for the classroom pet. Allowing the children to take part in caring for the animal helps them develop responsibility and understand what it means to follow a schedule. Allow the children to take part in feeding the pet and any other maintenance.
Create lesson plans that are focused on learning about the class pet. Class pets can be used to teach everything from habitats to diet and nutrition. Also, you can make reference to the class pet to help students understand various concepts. For instance, the pet could be the subject of a word problem during math class. Relating to a real-life example will increase your students' understanding of the subject at hand.
Use the class pet as a reward for good behavior. For example, if a student has scored the highest on a test or completed an act of kindness, he will be allowed to spend time playing with the pet or helping to take care of it.
How to Use Pets in the Classroom
Many teachers opt to have classroom pets such as fish, rabbits or other small creatures that live in an enclosed habitat. Pets can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom, whether they are a permanent fixture in the classroom or merely visiting. Animals provide a hands-on learning experience for children. Using animals in the classroom can help students learn how to care for another living object, demonstrate responsibility and practice following a list of rules.