Imagine this: it’s a Monday morning, you’re tired from staying up late all last night to finish your homework, you open your classroom door and you’re tackled by… a puppy?  How amazing would that day be? Though having a puppy for a class pet may be a little extreme, having a furry friend in your classroom would improve your day for sure.

Class pets have been a subject of controversy at schools and administrations often face a tough decision on whether having class pets is beneficial or hurtful.

So far, class pets have been restricted to odorless and harmless animals like fish. However, some classes have had positive experiences with more difficult pets, like hamsters. An example would be science teacher Craig Hoppe’s past classes, which had a hamster named Bruce. Bruce lived for 3 years in Hoppe’s classroom, with students taking him home on weekends and vacations.

Hoppe was reluctant at first to allow such a pet in his classroom, but the students were more than happy to calm his worries. They raised money to buy the hamster and the supplies, and a group of students all volunteered to take care of Bruce, feed him, change his water, and clean  his cage when needed. They even bought Bruce extra accessories, such as a hamster ball so that he could roll around during class.

Hoppe described this experience as having “ its ups and downs, but mostly ups”. He cites Bruce’s three escape attempts as the lowest points of having him, but explains that after the first time, the students devised a way to lure the hamster back by using food.

“The hamster really brought out some students’ personalities when we were picking names,” Hoppe said. “I could always tell when students were having a bad day because they would go straight to his cage at the beginning of class and hold him.”

The class would also often pass the hamster around during class and Hoppe would often hold him while teaching. All the while, the students were paying attention to the lecture and the hamster did not lend itself to be a distraction.

From this example, we can learn that class pets can be beneficial in many ways. It could brighten someone’s day or bring a shy student out of his or her shell. A class pet could also improve the learning environment or make the class more interesting.

Therefore, class pets should be a possibility in every classroom as they often can do more good than harm.