Zones of Regulation
What zone is the ideal zone for school?
(Blue, Green, Yellow, or Red)
TRUE OR FALSE:
An impulse is a quick, urge to do something right now.
TRUE.
We all experience impulses throughout the day and it is important to manage them.
True or False.
Whole Body Listening involves looking at the speaker and does not involve the rest of your body.
FALSE!
Whole Body Listening involves looking at the speaker, facing the speaker, keeping your body calm and still, and showing that your listening (by nodding your head or asking related questions).
Which of the following is the definition for Flexible Thinking
A) Being able to think about a situation from more than one perspective
B) Thinking about a problem in only one way and believing there are no other possible ways to solve the problem.
A) Being able to think about a situation from more than one perspective.
You forgot your pencil. You stand up and interrupt the teacher and shout out that you don't have a pencil. Does the size of the reaction match the size of the problem.
No. It would be appropriate to stand up and yell during a lesson if someone were hurt. However, in this case if you forgot your pencil, an appropriate reaction is to ask someone nearby if you can borrow one or to raise your hand and ask your teacher to borrow on.
What is the only zone that is not okay to be in?
RED. All of the other zones are okay, because that means we are human.
True or False:
An impulse can feel fun.
TRUE. An impulse can feel fun, such as running around the room. But if you are in classroom, that impulse can be disruptive to your learning and others' learning.
True or False
It is distracted when someone taps on the desk while you are talking.
TRUE. Noises and body movements can be distracting and sometimes come off as rude.
A classmate is looking at you from across the room. You assume it is because they want to be mean and make funny faces at you. Is this an example of Flexible or Rigid Thinking?
Rigid Thinking. There are many other possibilities th we have to think of. For example, the classmate might be "zoning out", trying to look out the window, trying to get your attention, trying to get the teacher's attention, or might be trying to say hi. It is possible that they are trying to annoy you, but we have to use Flexible Thinking and think about other possibilities.
TRUE OR FALSE
It is important that our Size of our Reaction matches Size of the Problem.
TRUE. This is important so that way we do not overreact. Overreacting usually causes more problems.
If you are feeling hyper or frustrated, what zone would would you be in? (Green, Red, Blue, or Yellow)
YELLOW. Yellow zone involves a higher level of energy than green and can feel good (excitement) and can feel unpleasant (frustration).
True or False
It is extra hard to manage impulses when everyone around are doing things they shouldn't be doing (like yelling or running down the hall).
TRUE. It is much harder to keep our bodies in control even when it seems like no one else in. This is the perfect time to become a leader.
Why is it important to use Whole Body Listening?
Reasons include:
- Because it lets others know that we are paying attention and care about what they have to say
- Because it helps us focus on what the speaker is saying
- It is kind and polite
- It reduces distractions
Your teacher asks to talk to you after class. What are 2 reasons why?
- to ask about your homework
-to congratulate you on getting an A on your test
- to ask if you are okay because she's worried about you
- to give you recess detention for not turning in assignments
- to ask if you can be the student leader tomorrow while she is gone.
- to ask if you will help her carry some books to the office
True or False?
Adults always match the Size of the Reaction to the Size of the Problem.
False. This is something that adults always have to pay attention and manage is their reactions. That's why it's so great that we are practicing this as students!
If you are feeling in the blue zone what tools could you use to get up to the green zone?
Coping Tools include taking deep breaths, getting enough sleep, eating breakfast, talking about your feelings, getting some exercise, telling someone you are feeling sad or blah, or finding an activity that you enjoy doing.
His impulse is to eat the marshmallow. He is working hard to manage his impulse.
Serena is telling Liam a story about her weekend. He is moving his arms from side to side and sometimes looking at the ceiling. How does this make Serena feel?
This makes Serena feel disappointed that Liam is not paying attention to what she is sharing. She also might feel disrespected.
You had a pencil on your desk and it is now missing. Giving two or more reasons why.
- The pencil rolled off the desk
- A student took it
- A friend saw that someone might take it and is saving it for you.
- You accidentally put the pencil in your pocket and you forgot.
Randy's friend is playing tag with another boy on the playground. Randy is feeling upset about this problem. Which would be the most appropriate reaction?
A) Randy asks to join in on the game of tag
B) Randy walks up to the boys and starts calling them names because he feels upset.
C) Randy runs up to his friend and shoves him on the ground.
A) Randy asks to join in on the game of tag. Not playing tag is the problem and asking is a way to solve that problem.
What is coping tool you could use to get from the Yellow Zone to the Green Zone?
Examples include deep breaths, water breaks, positive self talk, thinking about something positive, asking to take a break, take a movement break (like pushups or thumb press), or stretching.
You are feeling incredibly angry at a classmate you pushed you too hard during tag on the playground. You want to get up and push him down to the ground. How can you manage this impulse and stay out of the Red Zone?
- Ask for help
- Walk away and take deep breaths
- Join a different game
- After you have taken deep breaths, ask if you can talk to that classmate who pushed you down
- Use positive self talk: Remember that it may not have been on purpose, remind yourself you are able to solve this problem, remind yourself that you have people help you.
- Name your feelings and zone. Thinking about Coping Tools to get you out of that Zone .
Your teacher is teaching a very hard math lesson. Your friend is sitting nearby whispering to you and tapping his feet loudly on the floor. What can you say to your friend to help him with Whole Body Listening?
Ask your friend to look at the teacher and have quiet feet. You can do this without saying a word; for example, you can put a "Sh" finger to your lips and point towards the teacher.
Your parents tell you that you have to reduce your screen time. What are two or more reasons why?
- Your parents are mean and trying to punish you
- Your parents notice that you spend too much time with screens and want you to enjoy other activities
- Your parents are worried about the effects of screen time on the brain and want to protect you.
- Your parents are worried that too much screen time takes away from homework.
Susan broke her leg and she is now screaming and crying. Does the Size of the Problem and Size of the Reaction match?
Yes. Even though the reaction is very big, it is a very big problem. If she were screaming and crying after she got a bad grade on a test, then it would not match.