How dogs are making 6th grade better at Bessemer Middle School

PETS IN CLASSROOMS MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE THE PERFECT PAIR, BUT A DEDICATED GROUP OF TEACHERS AT BESSEMER MIDDLE SCHOOL IS PROVIDING THAT PET THERAPY CAN CHANGE THAT AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOME STUDENTS BEHAVIOR. I DROPPED BY THE SIXTH GRADE WHITE PAWS CLASS TO EXPERIENCE A SESSION WITH THEM. IT’S AN EXCITING AND DIFFERENT KIND OF LEARNING DAY FOR SIXTH GRADERS AT BESSEMER MIDDLE. RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE NOT PETTED THE DOG AND YOU WANT THE DOG TO COME TO YOU. BODIE, WHO THE KIDS HAVE MET BEFORE, IS BACK FOR ANOTHER VISIT. AND THIS TIME IT’S EXCITED TO BE HERE. LITTLE LILY IS JOINING HIM. ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS BE BE GOOD AND STAY OUT OF TROUBLE AND LISTEN TO THE TEACHERS. AS VICTOR ALLEN JUST SAID, GETTING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS NEW PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT GOOD BEHAVIOR. HAVING THE DOGS HERE WAS REALLY FUN BECAUSE I NEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLION YEARS I WOULD HAVE HAD A DOG IN MY CLASSROOM. WE USUALLY TRY TO DO THIS ONCE A MONTH ON A FRIDAY AT THE END OF THE MONTH, SO THAT WAY STUDENTS HAVE AN INCENTIVE OF SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN LOOK FORWARD TO BEFORE THE MONTH ENDS. DOCTOR YUVRAJ VERMA AND HIS COLLEAGUES ARE USING THIS DIFFERENT APPROACH TO HELP BOOST THEIR STUDENTS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. SOCIALIZATION SKILLS ARE, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIAL WHEN YOU’RE, YOU KNOW, IN THE SIXTH GRADE. AND THIS IS A GREAT INITIATIVE TO, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY TEACH THEM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN SKILLS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND WHEN I WAS GIVING THE STUDENTS THE CONSENT FORMS, I WAS ASKING THEM, WHO’S EVER HAD A DOG, WHO’S EVER PLAYED WITH THE DOG? WHO’S EVER BEEN TO JUST GENERAL THERAPY? BECAUSE THAT KIND OF GOT US INTO THE CONVERSATION OF MENTAL HEALTH AS A WHOLE. IT WASN’T JUST FOCUSING ON, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING WITH PETS. DOCTOR VERMA SECURED A GRANT FROM THE NONPROFIT PET PARTNERS TO FUND THE PROGRAM FOR UP TO 100 STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN SEPTEMBER, THE TEACHERS AGREE THE IMPACT HAS BEEN REMARKABLE. WE’VE NOTICED STUDENTS WHO MAY NOT INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER HAVE INTERACTED. WE HAVE A LOT OF ELL STUDENTS, MEANING THEY DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH AS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE. SO A LOT OF TIMES THEY MAY NOT FEEL AS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE. BUT WHEN YOU’RE PETTING A DOG AND EVERYONE’S JUST SMILING AND HAPPY, THAT’S A NATURAL LANGUAGE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS. SO I’M A DOG LOVER NOW, EVEN IGNITING A NEW LOVE FOR DOGS FOR ONE OF THE TEACHERS. SO THE FIRST MOMENT THEY CAME IN, I THINK YOU COULD, LIKE, HEAR A PIN DROP. I WAS A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE. I WANT TO BE A DOG LOVER, BUT I’M A LITTLE AFRAID. BUT AFTER MEETING BODI, HE WAS AWESOME. AND I ACTUALLY PURCHASED THE DOG AFTER THE FIRST PET THERAPY, STUDENTS LIKE KALIA MAYES AND MALAYSIA WHITE ARE ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT VISIT. IS VERY EXCITING TO SEE OUR CLASSMATES HAPPY AND JUST GETTING TO KNOW THE DOG BETTER. I HOPE LILY AND BRODY COME BACK BY EXPOSING STUDENTS TO SOMETHING NEW AND CREATING A SAFE, POSITIVE SPACE. THE TEACHERS HOPE THIS PROVIDES AN OUTLET FOR STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA, AND THAT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH PET THERAPY WILL STAY WITH THEIR STUDENTS FOR YEARS TO COME. OH YEAH, AND SO IT WAS REALLY NEAT BECAUSE THE TEACHERS ACTUALLY GOT TOGETHER AND THEY WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF PET THERAPY IN SCHOOLS BEFORE GETTING THIS GRANT, AND THEY WERE JUST TRYING TO SHOW HOW BENEFICIAL IT IS. AND REALLY THE GOAL AND THE HOPE IS TO GET IT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BESSEMER CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM AND BEYOND. IT APPEARS THE KIDS LOVED IT AND THE DOGS LOVED IT. YEAH, IT WAS REALLY GREAT. IT WAS GOOD TO BE THERE AND THEY HAD SO MUCH FUN. COULDN’T DO THAT WITH CATS THOUGH. MAYBE YOU MIGHT. I DON’T KNOW, SHERRY. I KNOW YOU’RE A CAT LOVER. I’M A BELIEVER. YOU ARE. BUT CATS DON’T REALLY LIKE US THAT MUCH. AS MUCH AS THE DOGS DO.