With an increased focus on social emotional learning in our schools I am looking for ways to incorporate a more social emotional learning atmosphere in my classroom.
I would like to use stuffed animals to provide emotional support and teach the children about pet ownership in the process.
With this goal, my adopt a pet program would allow the children to “adopt” a stuffed cat or dog. We would focus on 3 things: care, comfort and compassion.
In the years following the pandemic I see more students with anxiety. Although I encourage them to bring in a stuffed animal from home to provide comfort, this project would help every child have a stuffed animal.
Along with teaching responsibility, these pets could help in self-regulation and empathy. This program could also be used across the curriculum: Using the writing journals they will write about their pet or persuade their families to get them a real pet. In math we will learn what a pet needs and go "shopping" for supplies to see what a pet costs. In reading we will read about how to take care of a pet and books about how pets have helped their owners. This project has endless possibilities of how it can be incorporated into daily learning.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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