Parents and teachers often have the argument of whether or not pets should be in a classroom.   Some people might say, do you have students with severe allergies? However, teachers can choose a pet that won’t cause problems. Animals are good for classrooms because you can learn a lot from classroom pets, students can learn responsibility and build character from taking care of something.   There should be pets in the classroom because they are helpful in many ways.

Students are able to learn a lot in school from classroom pets.  “Young children learn science, math, literacy and social/ ethical skills  through the many different ways they interact with the class pet.”   (Animals Make Good Teachers, Page 1).  It is important for students to have a variety of ways to learn.  Sometimes pets give students the confidence to do better.  Therefore class pets are a good resource for school learning.

Responsibility is a good thing to learn. You can learn responsibility through having classroom pets. “Observing and caring for an animal instills a sense of responsibility and respect for life.”  (Pets in the Classroom, Page 1)   Teaching responsibility to students is important because it sets students up to be responsible later in life.  Having classroom pets will improve the responsibility in students.

  Classroom pets build character skills in students as well as empathy.

“Taking care of something smaller than themselves builds important character skills”.  (Animals Make Good Teachers, Page 1)  Building character in students helps them communicate better.  “Increased sensitivity and awareness of the feelings and needs of others -- both animals and humans.” When kids have to take care of something less capable it teaches them to empathetic.

The other side might say that being a classroom pet is not always the best for the pet. “Busy, noisy classrooms can be stressful”. Also they might say that even accidental rough handling can cause an otherwise social animal to become timid and defensive”.   

I have had to experience pets being in the classroom and pets not in a classroom. I like having pets in the classroom because I have learned responsibility from them. It’s not all fun and game to take care of them, like feeding it, grooming it, cleaning it and clean its cage, but there is so much to learn from having pets in a classroom.