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Lessons Learned from
Dogs in the Classroom
A high school student sat at a work table, feeling extremely upset. Sensing the students anxiety, Morgan, a 3-1/2-year-old certified therapy dog, wandered over to her and put his head on her lap. After a little while, she felt better and was able to focus on learning again.
Morgan is a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle -- a Goldendoodle. His silvery-black coat is more hypo-allergenic than the coats of most other dogs, which makes him a good choice to work with students at Palmyra-Macedon High School in Palmyra, New York. He is one of seven therapy dogs in this district of about 2,200 students.
When students show signs of stress or anger, Morgan joins them and helps them calm down.
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TEACHING REAL-LIFE LESSONS
In Valparaiso, Indiana, Nancy Starewicz, a former school psychologist, has devised a program in which she uses her 3-year-old soft-coated Wheaten terrier, Lucky, to motivate children to behave well.
Starewicz first got the idea of using Lucky to teach children when she noticed how calm he remained as the two visited nursing homes. That motivated Starewicz to develop eight life lessons for students in grades K-2 and ten lessons for students in grades 3-6.
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| Meet Lucky. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Starewicz) |
Luckys first lesson for students in grades K-2 is I can wait. In this lesson, Starewicz places a treat on Luckys nose and talks to students about the importance of waiting. All the while, Lucky sits patiently, waiting to be given the treat. After a few minutes, Lucky receives the treat as her reward.
The other seven lessons for grades K-2 are:
- I sit when asked.
- I am friendly to everyone.
- I listen with my ears, eyes, and heart.
- I keep my eyes on my teacher.
- I am quiet when my teacher is talking.
- I eat good foods and drink water.
- I exercise every day.
To illustrate the I exercise every day lesson, Starewicz explains to students that Lucky gets two walks a day and shows them photographs of Lucky playing in the snow.
The ten lessons for grades 3-6 are:
- Talk less, listen more.
- Sit less, exercise more.
- Complain less, be thankful more.
- Eat junk less, eat healthy more.
- Be selfish less, think of others more.
- Hurry less, be patient more.
- Guess less, study more.
- Growl less, smile more.
- Worry less, trust more.
- Judge less, accept more.
In teaching the important Complain less, be thankful more lesson, Starewicz talks with students about how Lucky is happy to have a loving family, fresh water, and to go for a walk or a car ride. I talk with them about being thankful for hugs, laughter, and the sun, Starewicz said. I ask them to work with their own gratitude list, to make a list of things theyre grateful for, like good health, their families, and their friends.
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A third-grade teacher commented on the program: The ten Lucky lessons are great life skills for people of all ages.
Kids -- and teachers -- stand to learn a lot of lessons from dogs. If theyre Lucky.
DOGS AIM TO HELP KIDS GRADUATE
At Palmyra-Macedon High, Morgan and his partner, a miniature-doodle named Sadie, play key roles in the districts AIM program, its alternative education program. Under Blankenbergs guidance, Morgan and Sadie accompany the AIM students, who take classes in math, English, and other subjects. The dogs are part of a plan to help the students meet high-school graduation requirements.
Morgan interacts with students outside the AIM program as well, said Blankenberg, a retired special education teacher who now works as a teaching assistant in the AIM program.
Blankenberg told Education World about a non-AIM program tenth-grader who suffered from anxiety last year. Morgan began to lie beside him for 80-minute class periods. When the student became anxious, Morgan put his head on the students lap. The student visibly relaxed and began to feel -- and learn -- much better.
Sometimes attention from Morgan rewards appropriate behavior in students. If students who have exhibited anger stay on task with no emotional outbursts in class, spending time with Morgan is their reward.
If a student is seeing the school psychologist for the first time and is nervous about it, Blankenberg has Morgan play with the student before the appointment until the student relaxes.
At the beginning and end of the school day Morgan and Blankenberg greet as many of the students as possible. Morgan gravitates toward kids who are loaners, said Blankenberg, and he really brightens their day.
Weve only begun to scratch the surface of how to use dogs to help people, Blankenberg said. Dogs are so intuitive and so intelligent and they have an incredible ability to give love.
Working with Morgan has made me a better person.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Dogs and School Children
Vin Fiordalis, a long-time administrator and mathematics teacher in Shaker Heights, Ohio, is an advocate of dogs in the classroom. In this remembrance he recounts the value of having a dog in his own classroom and pays tribute to dogs as "teachers' pets."
Classroom Management and the Teachers Pet
When a friendly, well-trained dog is introduced into an elementary school classroom, teaching conditions improve considerably. Students become less hyperactive and more attentive to their instructor. The dog becomes an effective classroom management tool.
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You've reached the end of another grading period, and what could be more daunting than the task of composing insightful, original, and unique comments about every child in your class? The following positive statements will help you tailor your comments to specific children and highlight their strengths.
You can also use our statements to indicate a need for improvement. Turn the words around a bit, and you will transform each into a goal for a child to work toward. Sam cooperates consistently with others becomes Sam needs to cooperate more consistently with others, and Sally uses vivid language in writing may instead read With practice, Sally will learn to use vivid language in her writing. Make Jan seeks new challenges into a request for parental support by changing it to read Please encourage Jan to seek new challenges.
Whether you are tweaking statements from this page or creating original ones, check out our Report Card Thesaurus [see bottom of the page] that contains a list of appropriate adjectives and adverbs. There you will find the right words to keep your comments fresh and accurate.
We have organized our 125 report card comments by category. Read the entire list or click one of the category links below to jump to that list.
AttitudeBehaviorCharacterCommunication SkillsGroup WorkInterests and TalentsParticipationSocial SkillsTime ManagementWork Habits
Attitude
The student:
is an enthusiastic learner who seems to enjoy school.
exhibits a positive outlook and attitude in the classroom.
appears well rested and ready for each day's activities.
shows enthusiasm for classroom activities.
shows initiative and looks for new ways to get involved.
uses instincts to deal with matters independently and in a positive way.
strives to reach their full potential.
is committed to doing their best.
seeks new challenges.
takes responsibility for their learning.
Behavior
The student:
cooperates consistently with the teacher and other students.
transitions easily between classroom activities without distraction.
is courteous and shows good manners in the classroom.
follows classroom rules.
conducts themselves with maturity.
responds appropriately when corrected.
remains focused on the activity at hand.
resists the urge to be distracted by other students.
is kind and helpful to everyone in the classroom.
sets an example of excellence in behavior and cooperation.
Character
The student:
shows respect for teachers and peers.
treats school property and the belongings of others with care and respect.
is honest and trustworthy in dealings with others.
displays good citizenship by assisting other students.
joins in school community projects.
is concerned about the feelings of peers.
faithfully performs classroom tasks.
can be depended on to do what they are asked to do.
seeks responsibilities and follows through.
is thoughtful in interactions with others.
is kind, respectful and helpful when interacting with his/her peers
is respectful of other students in our classroom and the school community
demonstrates responsibility daily by caring for the materials in our classroom carefully and thoughtfully
takes his/her classroom jobs seriously and demonstrates responsibility when completing them
is always honest and can be counted on to recount information when asked
is considerate when interacting with his/her teachers
demonstrates his/her manners on a daily basis and is always respectful
has incredible self-discipline and always gets his/her work done in a timely manner
can be counted on to be one of the first students to begin working on the task that is given
perseveres when faced with difficulty by asking questions and trying his/her best
does not give up when facing a task that is difficult and always does his/her best
is such a caring boy/girl and demonstrates concern for his/her peers
demonstrates his/her caring nature when helping his/her peers when they need the assistance
is a model citizen in our classroom
is demonstrates his/her citizenship in our classroom by helping to keep it clean and taking care of the materials in it
can always be counted on to cooperate with his/her peers
is able to cooperate and work well with any of the other students in the class
is exceptionally organized and takes care of his/her things
is always enthusiastic when completing his/her work
is agreeable and polite when working with others
is thoughtful and kind in his/her interactions with others
is creative when problem solving
is very hardworking and always completes all of his/her work
is patient and kind when working with his/her peers who need extra assistance
trustworthy and can always be counted on to step in and help where needed
Communication Skills
The student:
has a well-developed vocabulary.
chooses words with care.
expresses ideas clearly, both verbally and through writing.
has a vibrant imagination and excels in creative writing.
has found their voice through poetry writing.
uses vivid language in writing.
writes clearly and with purpose.
writes with depth and insight.
can make a logical and persuasive argument.
listens to the comments and ideas of others without interrupting.
Group Work
The student:
offers constructive suggestions to peers to enhance their work.
accepts the recommendations of peers and acts on them when appropriate.
is sensitive to the thoughts and opinions of others in the group.
takes on various roles in the work group as needed or assigned.
welcomes leadership roles in groups.
shows fairness in distributing group tasks.
plans and carries out group activities carefully.
works democratically with peers.
encourages other members of the group.
helps to keep the work group focused and on task.
Interests and Talents
The student:
has a well-developed sense of humor.
holds many varied interests.
has a keen interest that has been shared with the class.
displays and talks about personal items from home when they relate to topics of study.
provides background knowledge about topics of particular interest to them.
has an impressive understanding and depth of knowledge about their interests.
seeks additional information independently about classroom topics that pique interest.
reads extensively for enjoyment.
frequently discusses concepts about which they have read.
is a gifted performer.
is a talented artist.
has a flair for dramatic reading and acting.
enjoys sharing their musical talent with the class.
Participation
The student:
listens attentively to the responses of others.
follows directions.
takes an active role in discussions.
enhances group discussion through insightful comments.
shares personal experiences and opinions with peers.
responds to what has been read or discussed in class and as homework.
asks for clarification when needed.
regularly volunteers to assist in classroom activities.
remains an active learner throughout the school day.
Social Skills
The student:
makes friends quickly in the classroom.
is well-liked by classmates.
handles disagreements with peers appropriately.
treats other students with fairness and understanding.
is a valued member of the class.
has compassion for peers and others.
seems comfortable in new situations.
enjoys conversation with friends during free periods.
chooses to spend free time with friends.
Time Management
The student:
tackles classroom assignments, tasks, and group work in an organized manner.
uses class time wisely.
arrives on time for school (and/or class) every day.
is well-prepared for class each day.
works at an appropriate pace, neither too quickly or slowly.
completes assignments in the time allotted.
paces work on long-term assignments.
sets achievable goals with respect to time.
completes make-up work in a timely fashion.
Work Habits
The student:
is a conscientious, hard-working student.
works independently.
is a self-motivated student.
consistently completes homework assignments.
puts forth their best effort into homework assignments.
exceeds expectations with the quality of their work.
readily grasps new concepts and ideas.
generates neat and careful work.
checks work thoroughly before submitting it.
stays on task with little supervision.
displays self-discipline.
avoids careless errors through attention to detail.
uses free minutes of class time constructively.
creates impressive home projects.
Related: Needs Improvement Report Card Comments for even more comments!
Student Certificates!
Recognize positive attitudes and achievements with personalized student award certificates!
Report Card Thesaurus
Looking for some great adverbs and adjectives to bring to life the comments that you put on report cards? Go beyond the stale and repetitive With this list, your notes will always be creative and unique.
Adjectives
attentive, capable, careful, cheerful, confident, cooperative, courteous, creative, dynamic, eager, energetic, generous, hard-working, helpful, honest, imaginative, independent, industrious, motivated, organized, outgoing, pleasant, polite, resourceful, sincere, unique
Adverbs
always, commonly, consistently, daily, frequently, monthly, never, occasionally, often, rarely, regularly, typically, usually, weekly
As the pandemic stretches on, many of us are hyper-aware of the long-term consequences to our educational system if we cannot find ways to get students back into buildings. Yes, virtual teaching is improving with each passing week, but we all long to be in closer contact with students, particularly those who are struggling to receive basic needs. Models that send some students to school while keeping others home, known as “hybrid” models, have begun their implementation phase in these early fall weeks. From a teaching standpoint, the biggest challenge of this setup lies in the need to essentially teach two different populations at once, sometimes at the same time: the students at home, and the students in the building. How can we serve both?
Buddy Up!
For students learning virtually as they watch their classmates live, understanding what is happening is a real struggle. For one thing, both the on-site teacher and students are likely wearing masks, which muffles sound and facial expression. Furthermore, being able to see and hear anyone through a camera aimed at a classroom is a difficult proposition, one requiring both intense and continued concentration (and that stamina is not possible for younger children in particular) as well as excellent hearing. To be blunt, staying an involved member of the class community can be close to impossible for students who aren’t physically there.
For this reason, strategic pairings or groupings are critical. Rather than house the virtual students on a screen in the back or similar, assign each virtual student an in-person peer. Schools using tablets or laptops (and that is most of them these days) can place an onscreen student on the desk of one who is sitting right there in the room, and who can act as an advocate. Suppose that Jane, a virtual student, is paired with Carly, who is sitting in the classroom. If Jane wants to raise her hand or join the conversation, she can ask Carly to bring her needs to the teacher’s attention. Likewise, if Jane cannot hear something, she can ask Carly to type what just happened into the chat. The benefit of this system is not for Jane alone, either. Carly has a learning partner, and she can maintain her relationship with someone not wearing a face mask at a farther distance. It might be a distraction, but the potential benefit outweighs any downside. And if Carly is absent, Jane can be given to a new partner, or another group.
Keep Group Work Virtual
In the age of physical distancing, group work is problematic from a health standpoint. Therefore, rethinking how we group kids is vital to keeping the collaborative energy of a classroom intact. Even when students are sitting in class, group work can be conducted on Zoom to benefit both those learning at home and those in the classroom who cannot be in proximity, and who are wearing masks. Imagine two students sitting across the room who are still part of a Zoom small group. They can see each other on the computer, and virtual students can be pulled into the process as well. In this situation, the in-person students have the advantage of being in the classroom and being able to ask for immediate help from the teacher, while the virtual students are able to work with masks off and be equal contributors to the work with the guidance of their peers.
No Double Duty
Teachers who are working with two distinct populations at one time (one here, one there) may feel the need to do twice the work, since one set of lesson plans might not work as well for a particular group. Instead of giving into the urge to do more, think strategically. For example, assigning homework in a traditional sense might contribute to the workload in a way that is not productive, while flipping the model and focusing on in-class checks for understanding can tell the teacher more about what students grasp. In an English class, students might be asked to read on their own time, which makes sense, while writing workshops and assignments are prioritized for classroom time. That way, students can conduct peer review or other conference activities virtually or in classroom pairings. In a math class, the teacher could assign an instructive video for homework, and then use class time to have students work out problems collaboratively or alone, turning in work virtually whether they are in physical proximity or not. In other words, rather than assigning more work or two sets of work, the teacher can simplify as much as possible by thinking about what work can be done individually, and what might need some support during instruction.
Focus Support Proactively and Collaboratively
For students with special education or language learning needs, there are additional factors that will have to be considered in a hybrid model. For general education teachers who do not have additional staffing support, such as in-class aides or resource teachers, a conversation with school leaders is a vital part of making sure that each class proactively addresses projected student needs. If I know that I have a virtual student who needs read-to accommodations, it is important to brainstorm possible ways to meet the need with the school and family’s help. Similarly, if a student who is acquiring language skills will be sitting in a mainstream class, the teacher might want to meet with the school’s ELL specialist to determine how to ensure that the barriers of masks and physical distancing, not to mention the virtual component of class, will not detract from the language learning process.
The process of hybrid learning is going to be bumpy, and we have to continue to meet this newest challenge with compassion for ourselves and for those we serve. As we learn more, we can do more, but it will take time. For now, we can feel a little bit better about how we do our jobs if we try to stay just one or two steps ahead of the challenges we face.
Written by Miriam Plotinsky, Education World Contributing Writer
Miriam is a Learning and Achievement Specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, where she has worked for nearly 20 years as an English teacher, staff developer and department chair. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, and recently earned her certification in Education Administration and Supervision. She can be followed on Twitter: @MirPloMCPS
Copyright© 2020 Education World 
Dear Teacher’s Lounge,
We only have twenty-four hours in each day, and as an assistant I am trying to make every day important. While on my school bus I am grateful for the students and greet each one with a smile and “good morning” to start their day. It is difficult to even get a response. As I transition into the classrooms I stay busy working with all of the students that I can give assistance to. How can I stay positive with a smile on my face every day while getting negative responses all day? Sometimes I just want to rip off my mask, hug these students, and just say “I love you” to each one of them!
~Keeping My Smile
Dear Smile,
What a shock returning to buildings has been for staff and students alike, particularly when we cannot rely on some of the key relationship-building strategies we’ve had in the past to let the kids know we care about them. It is heartbreaking.
When I read your message, I can see how much you love the students you serve. To help ease your mind a little bit about some of the vibes you’re getting from them, I want to make one really important distinction between a negative response and a lack of discernible response. For example, you talked about how you keep smiling. Sadly, the kids cannot see your smile, so for them, they could perceive seeing just a blank where the mask is as a negative response when really, you’re doing the opposite. The same holds true for how you receive the responses from students; they might be smiling, or frowning, or sticking out their tongues, or just making no expression at all. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing. When you greet them and they are silent, there could be all sorts of reasons why, from being shy to feeling constrained by the masks and distancing. In general, it might be more beneficial to try and reframe the responses as neutral at worst rather than negative, and you might feel a little more positive about how things are going.
In regards to the now very different process of building relationships with kids given the pandemic restrictions in buildings, we have all been developing strategies over the course of the past few months that might be worth trying. Here is a list of just a few ideas:
Give each child a set of index cards in different colors. Each child can create a personalized set of “mood cards,” using each to identify a specific mood and perhaps add a brief explanation or sketch. For example, if I were to create a set for myself, I would work with a range of possible feelings, from “tired” and “discouraged” to “excited” and “joyful.” When students walk into the room, they can show you their card of the day, which gives you a sense of how they feel under the mask.
A lot of self-hugging has been going on to mime a real hug. If you feel the urge to tell the kids you love them and support them, cross your arms over your own shoulders in a hug to express the practice of safe distance-hugging.
Pick a small number of kids to focus on each day in the moments before and after class. Use that time to strike up a conversation about anything, from the weather to a TV show referenced on a t-shirt. Gradually, students will warm up to you as you make these small gestures.
Don’t give up on the greetings, even with no audible response. “Good morning” goes a long way even if we don’t see a smile, as does “It’s so nice to see you” and “I’m glad you’re here today.”
Pick a student each day or each week to be a “happiness ambassador” and bring smiles to the classroom. That can be in the form of a prepared joke, a funny story, or just going around and asking for a celebration or piece of good news.
Acknowledge the frustration you feel honestly and openly with students, but with an empowering slant: “I really want you to know that it’s hard for me not to see your face or be closer to help you out, and I know you might feel the same way. But I’m not going to give up, and I would love to hear some of your ideas for making this class as enjoyable as possible.” By expressing your feelings, students will appreciate a perspective that they were likely unaware of.
If safe and permitted, visit other classrooms and talk to colleagues about their own solutions, and to see some other classroom dynamics in action. The smartest person in the room is the room itself: do not underestimate the power of collective brainstorming!
No matter what strategies you try, here’s the bottom line: don’t give up. Children are looking to us to keep it together and be a force of stability in a world that seems to have gone absolutely insane. Working in a school is never easy, and it’s even harder with so many barriers. We owe it to ourselves to have compassion for everyone in this situation (ourselves included), and to be okay with some very slow progress toward building the relationships that might take longer, but are so very worth it.
Please feel free to write back in and let us know how things are going!
Have a question, comment, or helpful tip about virtual teaching and learning? Send them to the Teacher’s Lounge We’ll get through this - together!
Read more tips and advice from Teacher's Lounge!
Written by Miriam Plotinsky, Education World Contributing Writer
Miriam is a Learning and Achievement Specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, where she has worked for nearly 20 years as an English teacher, staff developer and department chair. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, and recently earned her certification in Education Administration and Supervision. She can be followed on Twitter: @MirPloMCPS
Copyright© 2020 Education World 
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