What Zone Is This Mess?
Your alarm didn't go off, you skipped breakfast, and now you're sitting in first period thinking about your pillow.
Blue
Your Chromebook won't load, so you slam it shut. What's the problem: your frustration or what you did with it?
What you did with it / the behavior
A student is crying. BLUE! ...right?
Not necessarily. We need more information.
“I don't want anyone in Blue because Blue is bad.” What's wrong with that?
Blue isn't bad. All Zones are okay.
I don't understand how to do something. I'm getting frustrated. What should I do?
Ask for clarification/help.
The teacher says, “We're playing Jeopardy today,” and suddenly you have WAY more energy than you had thirty seconds ago.
Likely Yellow
Someone looks at you funny, so you immediately say, “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?” What step did you skip?
Pausing/thinking before reacting
A student's heart is beating fast. They're definitely angry. Right?
No. They could be scared, excited, nervous, exercising, etc.
“You're angry, so stop being angry.” What's wrong with that?
The feeling is okay; the person needs help choosing an appropriate response.
Somebody says something that makes me angry. I can feel myself reacting immediately. What's my first move?
Pause before reacting.
You're doing something you understand, nobody is bothering you, and you're focused.
Green
You don't understand the directions, so you sit there doing nothing for the entire period. What could you do instead?
Ask for clarification/help
A student is quiet. They're definitely calm and Green. Right?
No. We need more information.
“You're in Green, so obviously you're making good choices.” What's wrong with that?
Zone and behavior are different.
I'm tired and low energy, but I still need to work. Name something I could try.
Appropriate energizing movement, change posture, get water if permitted, ask for support, etc.
You find out school is unexpectedly canceled tomorrow and you're screaming like you won the lottery.
Red could fit because of the extremely high energy/excitement.
Someone accidentally bumps your chair and you assume they're trying to start something. What information are you missing?
Their intention/what actually happened.
Two students are both Yellow. They obviously need the same thing. Right?
No.
“You're excited, so you must be Yellow.” What's wrong with that?
Excitement can have different energy levels; very intense excitement could fit Red.
I'm extremely excited and talking over everyone. Is my excitement the problem?
No. The behavior needs adjusting to fit the situation.
Your game freezes when you're ONE POINT away from winning and you feel absolutely furious.
Red
You're furious during an argument and keep getting closer to the other person. What's one choice that could make the situation SMALLER instead of bigger?
Step away, ask for space, lower voice, get an adult, pause, etc.
A student is Red but makes a safe choice. Another student is Green but makes an unsafe/irresponsible choice. Who made the better choice?
The student in Red who made the safe choice.
“The goal of the Zones is to stay Green all day.” What's wrong with that?
The goal is to notice/understand your state and use that information, not stay Green all day.
I'm in Yellow and somebody tells me, “You need to calm down.” What's the better question they could ask me?
“What do you need?” / “Do you need support?” / “What would help?”