What is K9TEACH?
K9TEACH is an Animal-Assisted Education business with a vision of helping primary school students across Victoria and Southern NSW reach their full learning potential. Melissa works with Boofred or Otto to create learning experiences/activities that meet the specific needs of individual students to help them overcome obstacles and achieve goals. Any students requiring learning assistance due to learning difficulties, dyslexia, autism, emotional/physical trauma, cultural sensitivities or disability may benefit in a number of ways from working with K9TEACH. Each student working with the team will be assessed individually and their diverse learning needs and personalities will be taken into account so that lessons and learning experiences reflect this. This can also be done in correspondence with parents to provide tutoring for children that might require assistance in a particular curriculum area. K9TEACH can work one on one or with groups of students, whole classes and teachers where necessary. In addition, K9TEACH's qualifications allow them to span into therapy in workplaces, hospitals and aged care facilities, where they offer a relaxed and calming environment to reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
K9TEACH can work in out of school settings where there may be a need for Animal Therapy. This could occur in the court system, aged care facility, out of home care programs, for people with anxiety, depression or PTSD etc (the list is endless). In these cases K9TEACH likes to meet with clients and discuss the creation of a responsive program to suit the particular need.
K9TEACH can work in out of school settings where there may be a need for Animal Therapy. This could occur in the court system, aged care facility, out of home care programs, for people with anxiety, depression or PTSD etc (the list is endless). In these cases K9TEACH likes to meet with clients and discuss the creation of a responsive program to suit the particular need.
Who is Melissa?
Melissa is a registered primary school teacher in both Victoria and NSW with a passion for thinking outside the box when it comes to helping students achieve curriculum outcomes and be happy and comfortable at school. She is passionate about constructivist approaches towards teaching and learning, and enjoys creating real life, practical experiences for students. Creating learning opportunities that meet the specific needs of individual students is at the foreground of what Melissa has created K9TEACH to be all about.
Not only is Melissa passionate about education, but she is a lifelong animal lover who has been a volunteer foster carer for a number of years to help re-home dogs who find themselves in the pound. This has allowed Melissa to see the strong connection between humans and canines and its potential within education and the lives of vulnerable people. Melissa began developing the idea of K9TEACH after she experienced the potential of Animal-Assisted Intervention in a practical and theoretical way. She realised that with the right dog, children become more comfortable and eager to try new things as they react to the non-judgemental support of the dog. With her canine companion, Boofred, Melissa completed an Animal-Assisted Intervention and Therapy Dog Certification. This opened up an exciting door for Melissa, as she believes when humans and dogs work together in the classroom, the learning opportunities are endless across all learning areas.
Melissa has recently been exploring other areas where she believes K9TEACH could make a positive impact and has decided to add to her skill set by enrolling into a Diploma of Counseling with the Australian Institute of Professional Counselors. This will allow Melissa to create programs that are not only about learning with the use of Animal-Assisted Therapy, but that additionally allow children/adults to work through problems using counseling methods. The ultimate goal will be for K9TEACH to not only visit schools with educational outcomes in mind but to run a tutoring an counselling clinic in North East Victoria using animal-assisted interventions and specialising in children's and family counselling and mindfulness techniques.
Not only is Melissa passionate about education, but she is a lifelong animal lover who has been a volunteer foster carer for a number of years to help re-home dogs who find themselves in the pound. This has allowed Melissa to see the strong connection between humans and canines and its potential within education and the lives of vulnerable people. Melissa began developing the idea of K9TEACH after she experienced the potential of Animal-Assisted Intervention in a practical and theoretical way. She realised that with the right dog, children become more comfortable and eager to try new things as they react to the non-judgemental support of the dog. With her canine companion, Boofred, Melissa completed an Animal-Assisted Intervention and Therapy Dog Certification. This opened up an exciting door for Melissa, as she believes when humans and dogs work together in the classroom, the learning opportunities are endless across all learning areas.
Melissa has recently been exploring other areas where she believes K9TEACH could make a positive impact and has decided to add to her skill set by enrolling into a Diploma of Counseling with the Australian Institute of Professional Counselors. This will allow Melissa to create programs that are not only about learning with the use of Animal-Assisted Therapy, but that additionally allow children/adults to work through problems using counseling methods. The ultimate goal will be for K9TEACH to not only visit schools with educational outcomes in mind but to run a tutoring an counselling clinic in North East Victoria using animal-assisted interventions and specialising in children's and family counselling and mindfulness techniques.
Who is Boofred?
Boofred is an 8 year old koolie who loves children, bones, comfortable places to sleep, his sister Pearl, and most of all going to school. He was adopted by Melissa, her husband Tom and their border collie, Pearl in 2012. Boofred found himself in a foster home on the Victorian, NSW border after failing as a working dog. Being an Australian working breed, koolies, much like kelpies, are bred to herd livestock with never ending energy levels. However, being more interested in human interactions and receiving endless pats and cuddles, meant that Boofred didn’t meet the requirements of a working dog and found himself in the pound. Luckily, he was rescued and placed into foster care and eventually found his way to his forever family.
As Melissa became more familiar with Boofred’s unique personality and progressed through her teaching degree, she discovered that he would make the most wonderful therapy dog. She tested this by taking Boofred into classrooms and saw that he was indeed made for the job and seemed to feel more complete. With a gentle, cuddly, happy and laid back nature, Boofred soon helped children become more confident to try new things and discover new ways of learning. Boofred and Melissa have successfully completed an Animal-Assisted Intervention and Therapy Dog Certification with the Lead the Way Institute and have been working together across a number of schools for the past 3 years where Boofred feels extremely at home and like he is getting the most out of life.
As Melissa became more familiar with Boofred’s unique personality and progressed through her teaching degree, she discovered that he would make the most wonderful therapy dog. She tested this by taking Boofred into classrooms and saw that he was indeed made for the job and seemed to feel more complete. With a gentle, cuddly, happy and laid back nature, Boofred soon helped children become more confident to try new things and discover new ways of learning. Boofred and Melissa have successfully completed an Animal-Assisted Intervention and Therapy Dog Certification with the Lead the Way Institute and have been working together across a number of schools for the past 3 years where Boofred feels extremely at home and like he is getting the most out of life.
Who is Otto?
Otto is a 1 year old border collie x who loves toys, treats, bones, going for swims, getting pats and his sister Pearl. He was rescued from Taree pound in NSW by Melissa with the help of Pawfect Pals Animal Rescue, where he was intended to be a foster dog. Melissa doesn't know how or why Otto ended up in the pound but just like with Boofred she is glad there was a positive outcome. Melissa had been fostering dogs for quite some time before meeting her 30th foster dog, Otto, and she was keeping her eye out for a dog that might make a future therapy dog to add to the K9TEACH team. Upon meeting Otto and looking into his beautiful brown eyes, Melissa instantly knew he was 'the one'. Otto displayed a happy, playful, intelligent, cheeky, yet friendly and cuddly temperament and just liked Boofred seemed to have a love for children.
After he was given time to settle into his new home, his training as a therapy dog began. In March 2020, Melissa and Otto went to a therapy dog certification day in order for them to show off their skills as a team and they both successfully met the criteria making Otto officially a therapy dog and member of the K9TEACH team.
Otto's therapy dog career has just began but his future is bright and he is ready to help Melissa and Boofred make a difference in the lives of young people.
After he was given time to settle into his new home, his training as a therapy dog began. In March 2020, Melissa and Otto went to a therapy dog certification day in order for them to show off their skills as a team and they both successfully met the criteria making Otto officially a therapy dog and member of the K9TEACH team.
Otto's therapy dog career has just began but his future is bright and he is ready to help Melissa and Boofred make a difference in the lives of young people.