Nor’wester co-director, Wendi Huttner, reads to her granddaughter in company of therapy dog T’ea.
The book is by Bucks County author Lisa Papp and is titled Madeline Finn and the Library Dog.
Some of our therapy dog teams are working successfully with their teachers and students via remote connections. We are always looking for teams to join our organization and volunteer in public schools, public libraries, or on the college level.
Meet Nor’wester therapy dog Nilla! Some of our therapy dog teams will be working remotely with their host teachers while students continue online education. Our organization is thrilled that we are able to continue to offer our canine partners in education program virtually until it is safe to return to in person visits.
Carla Foy introduced persuasive letter writing to her second graders. She thought it would be a great opportunity to use their therapy dog April (a black Labrador Retriever) and her handler Nan Muska to model this writing exercise. Carla had the class brainstorm the “opinion” and then the reasons why they should have a therapy dog in the classroom.
She used the “Oreo” model to teach the lesson (Opinion, reasons, example, opinion). Her class decided to try to persuade another teacher in their school to host a therapy dog, and the class letter was specifically written for their fifth grade buddy class.
Some of the children volunteered reasons and examples such as:
“If you don’t have a dog of your own, a therapy dog makes you feel like you have your own dog.”
“You get to pet a dog while you read so you are relaxed and not nervous to read aloud.”
“The dog’s handler is so nice, and sometimes you get to walk her and her therapy dog to the office when it’s time for them to leave.”
Following the whole-group lesson using Nan and April as their subject, the students then wrote a personal persuasive letter. Some students chose to write a letter persuading the principal to install a smoothie machine in the cafeteria. Others wrote to their parents to persuade them to buy a certain toy.
Two letters went to the parents of a set of triplets, two of whom were in Carla’s class. They both wrote their own individual letter to their parents to persuade them to get a puppy. After reading the letters and taking some time to think about the reasons and examples their sons set forth, the parents were convinced and decided to get a puppy for the family!
They got a black Labrador puppy because the boys loved April so much, and they named him Philly.
The first week in March 2020 was designated as “Reading Across Holland Elementary School Week.” Howard Barkan, better known to the kids as Mr. Howard, volunteers with his therapy dog Winnie in a third grade class taught by Kelly Burdette and Amanda Vierick. When Mr. Howard and Winne walked into the classroom on Wednesday of that week, he was so surprised! The students in the class had collaborated on a book to present to Mr. Howard and Winnie as part of the “Acts of Kindness Day” which they had celebrated the day before. On the cover of the book the kids had written “Thanks for always being so kind,” and “Mr. Howard & Winnie Rock!” Inside, were 20 letters of appreciation from the students in the class.
When Winnie and Mr. Howard do their weekly visit, usually only 5-6 students read to them, but on this special day everyone who had contributed to the book read their letter aloud to them! While Winnie maintained her usual nonchalant behavior, Mr. Howard was clearly surprised and overwhelmed with the celebration and expression of appreciation; just look at that huge smile on his face. THIS is what makes therapy dog work so enriching for volunteers.
We hope you enjoy reading a few of the letters written by the students. Winnie and Mr. Howard are looking forward to the day when they can return to their weekly visits to their third grade class at Holland Elementary School.
Also a couple of regular pictures from a different day. Just because.
Research states that 82% of teenagers today recognize that they suffer from medium to high stress levels during the school year, and 46% of teachers feel exposed to high stress in their daily lives
Our emotional state conditions our whole life; it is the engine of our daily experiences in school and influences student performance. School is often blamed for being too focused on the cognitive aspect of learning, putting the academic contents at the center of the programs, but neglecting how they should be taken in. Just think of the effectiveness with which a motivated and interested student is able to achieve good results compared to a listless and under-stimulated classmate.
This is why therapy dogs are being used more frequently to target Social Emotional Learning (SEL) goals. Educators are realizing the need to place the emphasis on putting the emotional aspect on the same level as the cognitive one in learning. Focus is being placed upon learning to manage one’s feelings, not only in terms of self-control, but also of self-awareness, ability to set goals and relate to others. These goals are often being included in school district strategic planning by targeting student wellness.
The presence of therapy dogs has been proven to reduce stress in the academic environment. The Nor’wester organization routinely works with guidance counselors, in alternative schools, on college campuses, in social/emotional classes, and offers crisis intervention services. All of these therapy dog visits target the emotional needs of students. The wise teacher adapts the therapy dog visits to specifically address needs of individual students. IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and academic goals for students drive the lesson plans while the dog is visiting. The therapy dog team becomes an important teaching tool and often reaches students in ways that normal strategies are not successful.
Targeting social and emotional learning improves pupils’ academic performance. They also demonstrate better school behaviors, a greater ability to manage stress, and a more confident attitude towards themselves, towards others and towards the school. And when you put a therapy dog into the equation, a higher percentage of students experience positive strides in learning successful coping methods.
I am a retired Council Rock special education teacher. The year before I retired, my husband and I rescued a 5 year old Siberian Husky named Rory. Neither of us had any past experiences with dogs. Our youngest adult daughter had adopted a Husky who became our grand-dog, and we adored him. My daughter said to us one day, “Why don’t you get your own dog?” That’s when we adopted Rory.
After we’d had Rory for about a year, I was at St. Mary’s Hospital one day waiting for my husband while he had a medical procedure. A volunteer walked into the waiting room with her therapy dog where all of us were anxiously awaiting updates regarding our loved ones. The reduction of anxiety in the room was immediate and so apparent, I thought to myself, “Rory and I could do this!”
I enrolled in training, and we got our certification. After I retired, I discovered there was a therapy dog organization in my local school district called Nor’wester Therapy Dogs. I knew I wanted to continue working with kids, so this was a perfect fit for me and Rory.
Thanks to the Nor’wester organization, I get to do my favorite things every week:
We are so grateful we have this opportunity to be of service!
Thank you Nor’wester Therapy Dogs!!
Contributed by Michele Lecker
(Rory and Piper)
At Halloween, Mr. Nelson brought Bubba’s costume to class in a bag. The students had clues to guess what the costume was. They were eventually able to guess that Bubba was going to dress up as a super hero (Super Bubba). They were thrilled when Bubba put on his cape, and each student had their picture taken with him. These pictures were then added to paragraphs they wrote about Bubba. The information collected during the first class visit and interview was used to write an informative paragraph about Bubba.
Dominic Whiteman wrote:
Bubba is my new best friend. Bubba is an 11 year Golden Retriever who works as a therapy dog. It took one year to train to be a therapy dog. Bubba likes to take walks in the forest and bark at the squirrels and deer. I get excited when I see Bubba come through our classroom door!
Jen Cook
Maple Point Middle School
If you have wondered how a dog’s brain works, or more importantly, how it differs from the human brain, here are some wonderful books to add to your reading list. We’d love to hear what YOU are reading that helps you understand canine behavior.
The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz
The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia McConnell
Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships with Dogs by Suzanne Clothier
Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us about All Animals by Karen Pryor
The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs are Smarter Than You Think by Brian Hare & Vanessa Woods
Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet by John Bradshaw
How Dogs Think: What the World Looks like to Them and Why They Act the Way They Do by Stanley Coren
“I have a student in my special education classroom that can be considered “non-verbal”. Only when prompted does she use expressive language, but spontaneous expressive language continues to be an IEP (Individual Educational Prescription) goal of hers. After a third weekly visit from Karen and Brigg, this student shared more detailed information about her own two dogs and their size and color without more than two prompts from me.
After the visit was over and Karen and Brigg left our classroom, on two different occasions that afternoon, she spontaneously requested “Help?” and “Can I use the bathroom?” without being prompted. This is a goal she is working on, and this is the first time this year she has done this.
I link this increase in independent communication directly to the therapeutic rapport a student with special needs establishes with a therapy dog like Brigg. There is truly something magical about the relationship between student and therapy dog from a very early point in the visits to the classroom. The calm, non-judgmental demeanor the therapy dog brings to the classroom, provides the students with the patience and security they need to take risks (like speak unprompted or read aloud). The students are accepted, not judged, and are seen as a child, not a disability.
I have had the pleasure of working with a Nor’wester therapy dog and handler for five years. I have success stories like this almost every year.
Thank you so much Karen and Brigg. This is why this program is so important.”
Your forever supporter and teacher,
KV
