Gerald the Guinea Pig: A Small Friend Making a Big Impact at Wolf
Jenn O’Reilly
Building empathy and connection is at the heart of everything we do at Wolf, and one very special school member helps bring that mission to life each day. Gerald the Guinea Pig, Room 8’s class pet! Guinea pigs are calm, gentle animals, making them ideal for teaching empathy and compassion. Now in his second year at Wolf, Gerald has done a tremendous job of bringing the school community together. He is a familiar face to all the classrooms and students throughout Wolf love stopping by Room 8 to visit or requesting for Gerald to visit their classroom. Gerald has even attended All School Assembly and some after-school programs!
There is more to a class pet than meets the eye. Not only does Gerald add some fun to the classroom, it has also been a learning experience! He helps with regulation, teaches responsibility, builds classroom community, and provides motivation for classroom assignments!
Support Regulation
During periods of mild dysregulation, students can turn to the class pet to help support regulation. Gerald can join our students on their desk or on a bean bag. Gerald has even become part of some students’ morning routine as they stop by to spend some time with Gerald to start their day off on a positive note. Interacting with a guinea pig, or any classroom pet, can also have a calming effect, helping students regulate emotions and reduce classroom anxiety. I have seen students with mild dysregulation spend some time with Gerald and they are able to turn their day around with some snuggles. Beth loves bringing visiting students to Room 8, they instantly fall in love with Gerald and begin smiling and chatting with staff.
Teach Responsibility
While having a classroom pet provides a lot of benefits for students, it also brings with it a lot of responsibility. Pets are living beings that are now under our care. Having Gerald in our classroom has become a natural way to teach our older students about the responsibility of pet ownership. Students help to maintain Gerald’s habitat. They ensure that the cage is clean and that he has food, hay, and water. They’re responsible for putting him back in his cage after a lesson or hang out and even have the opportunity to take him home and care for him over the weekend. With Gerald, students have learned how to handle him carefully, respect his boundaries, and recognize signs of comfort or stress.
Builds Classroom Community
A class guinea pig naturally brings students together. Complex learners often experience school as challenging or overwhelming. A strong classroom community helps them feel accepted and understood, which reduces anxiety and allows them to take academic risks. Feeling safe in the classroom encourages complex learners to express their needs, ask for help, and practice self-advocacy skills with both peers and adults. Shared responsibility encourages teamwork, communication, and cooperation. Students often feel a strong sense of ownership and connection with a shared responsibility, which helps build a positive classroom culture. Gerald has become a unifying presence—something everyone looks forward to caring for and checking in on each day. He’s become part of the group while also strengthening the group itself!
Provide Motivation
In addition to all of the benefits already shared, Gerald has also become instrumental in providing extra motivation for students to learn. Sometimes it is effective for Gerald to hang out on a student’s desk during math and “help” with the math problems. Other times in art, Gerald is the focus of the activity, and students work on their drawing skills – which can be tricky because he doesn’t stop moving! Gerald can be incorporated into math problems, which is more engaging for students. Whether he is providing comfort during a test, acting as an engaging focal point during a lesson, or just bringing fun to the classroom, Gerald has helped our students grow, connect, and learn.
Want to get notified when there’s a new World of Complex Learners blog post?