Allow us to make an introduction. This is Chewbacca (Chewie), a small but precious member of the accadis family.
Chewie belongs to the Maltipoo breed, which is particularly suitable as a school dog. His owner, Ilka Schneider, is an Elementary School teacher at accadis International School who teaches Mathematics, German and Science. Chewie accompanies her to class and provides special highlights in the school day. Before the eyes of Ilka Schneider as well as the strict eyes of first graders, the little four-legged friend successfully completed his training as a school dog at the beginning of March 2022.
School Dog Training - Chewie Supports with Learning Mathematics
Within one lesson of 45 minutes - an ordinary Mathematics lesson for the first graders - there were several tasks for Chewie to master. As a first welcome, the initial interaction between the four-legged friend and the students took place. Guided by Ilka Schneider, Chewie ran around the squares and assessed the children's state of mind. While the teacher explained the topic of the lesson and Chewie's mission, the examinee took a seat on his resting blanket and relaxed while observing what was going on in class. The rest blanket is a sign for Chewie that he has a break. There he waits until the teacher calls him to the work blanket for action.
During the lesson, Chewie learned Maths with the students through play: he rolled numbers or discovered hidden canvas bags filled with number cards. The children noted down the respective numbers and put them in the correct ratio with the relation sign. Chewie also obeyed the commands "Search!", "Brings!", "Ok!", "Give!", "Sit!", "Wait!" and "Nudge!" and mastered yet another part of the test with flying colors.
Youngest School Dog in Hesse
At 22 months old, Chewie's successful completion of the test also made him the youngest school dog in Hesse. "The training normally starts at the age of two and lasts 15 months. We started at seven months," explains Ilka Schneider proudly.
School Dogs Strengthen the Sense of Self-esteem and Responsibility
A few years ago, there was already a school dog at accadis International School. After a longer break, we are happy to have found a reliable four-legged friend again. A furry classmate has a positive effect on children's sense of self-esteem and responsibility and increases their social and emotional competence. In addition, using a school dog trains communication skills and it often acts as a calming influence on the class. Students learn to behave calmly in the presence of a dog - which automatically reduces the stress that is often unconsciously present in the school day. School dogs are also known to strengthen children in the development of their emotional skills: they discover and develop a sense of caring, empathy and also a willingness to take responsibility.
Welcome to the accadis family, dear Chewie.