While researching for this article, I ran across a headline about “Sharks in the Classroom.” I was horrified, fascinated, and horrified. So of course, I had to take a look!
To my frustration and amusement, the article was about vacuums in classrooms. I didn’t glean a lot of good research there lol.
This article isn’t actually about animals in the classroom but rather teens who have animals and whether they enhance learning or detract from it.
A disclaimer before we start: I love animals, but if we get down to the nitty-gritty, cats and horses are my favorites.
In the same breath, while I was researching, there was this beautiful photo of a little boy with a bird on his shoulder while he was reading in class. They looked so calm. It made me more curious about pet birds, but not curious to become a parrot mama! In college when the big, brawny, football players at my lab table in biology were afraid of the tarantulas, it was me who picked one up and held her in my hand. Her name was Rose : )
Thus, I have a bias toward animals and hope my research backs up animals as a positive when it comes to teen learning. But I will try to share both sides…
Let’s look at some important facts.
Several websites indicate the world pet population to be 1 billion pets.
Interestingly according to UNICEF, there are approximately 1.3 billion teens in the world, about 16% of the world population.
With over a billion teenagers, mamas ensuring that their teens are learning is so important whether they have a pet or not!
Does every home have a pet? No, according to WorldAnimalFoundation.org, only 71% of American homes have a pet. Surprised? I know I was! That is a large segment of the population!
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that nearly one in five households welcomed a dog or cat into their home during COVID according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Since COVID, those of us with pets know what our pets will do. It’s not just the cute or silly antics you might see in a reel or short! The barking during important online meetings and cats wandering in front of cameras and across keyboards has become quite common.
As an online tutor, my students have seen my cats, and I’ve been introduced to most of their pets. I know of one teacher who had show-and-tell for her high school students each week so they could share their best friends. This teacher said it was the best way to prevent regular interruptions from the pets during other online class meetings.
The interruption concept is the major negative to pets and learning. Pets can be distractive. Whether it’s a dog who wants to run and play with your teen or a cat who just needs some love, pets can demand attention, and they aren’t concerned whether it’s homework time or not. For instance, my cat LOVES to eat my notes during consultations with parents and steal my pen when working with teens…and I’ve seen teens spend more time moving their cats off of the table than completing homework lessons…
Yet, there are ways to lessen distractions. If your teen establishes a homework routine, your pet may learn that it’s not time to play. You could also contain your pet away from your teen until homework is complete. By separating your teen and her pet, you may be creating motivation for your teen to stay focused until they are reunited. Studying for 30 minutes is well worth it when the reward is to get to play fetch with the new puppy or tease the family cat with a laser for a few minutes.
A pet can motivate a teen in many ways. When asked to write a poem or essay, often a pet can be the topic. In science and history, a pet can help your teen gain more understanding whether it’s knowing where your pet originated or understanding mammals versus reptiles.
Pets can also be a motivation to go outside and run and play. Whether it’s the sunlight, the exercise, or the oxygen, time outside with pets can have large mental and physical health benefits.
Motivation is important, but a major benefit to a pet for many is for mental health.
There are times when teens are unaware of how their actions and behaviors affect others. When a teen treats his pet poorly at home, oftentimes he’ll realize the effect of those behaviors by the reactions of his pet. No one wants to be bit, scratched, or ignored!
It’s not unusual for a pet to become a child’s best friend. That friendship is invaluable to a teen when things aren’t going right.
While a pet can be distracting, sometimes it’s quite the opposite. Britain has done studies where a person reading to a pet improves the reader’s reading skills and many animal shelters invite elementary students to read to the dogs to provide a calming environment.
Practicing a speech or just talking to a pet can even help a teen become more confident! Your family pup isn’t likely to have much negative feedback to a presentation, but learning violin is another story…
Knowing that a pet may help your teen learn is a strong reason to consider pet ownership, but there are logistics.
Will your teen, who promises to walk the dog or clean the litterbox, keep his promises? This might be a good time to talk about motivation!
Or, will it become your job to feed the pet and clean up after it? … What about the cost of boarding a pet during holidays and paying the vet for vaccines and any other visits? There’s a lot to consider!
Bringing a pet into your family can bring a lot of joy, but it’s important to examine every angle before you commit to a long-term pet relationship.
Depending on where you live, if your teen wants a pet, maybe there are opportunities to work at an animal shelter or even volunteer at a vet’s office instead of bringing home a permanent furry friend. I’ve been a foster mama to cats in three different states. It’s an option you might want to consider :) Just know it’s very easy to become a foster fail unless you resist the first furry face.
As I’ve written this article, a cat has occupied one of my arms for several hundred words. She’s slowed my typing, but her contented purring has helped me feel that there are good things in this world. When I was a teen and making my way through high school, it was her predecessor who was my best friend. If you ask me, animals can help your teen learn.
So while pets can be a distraction, it is not one that cannot be overcome.