Zones of regulation/Calmer classrooms

Zones of regulation

Children do well...if they can.

The ability to self regulate is dependent on three things :

1. Sensory processing, making sense of something then acting e.g. fire alarm
2. Executive functioning- control centre in the brain
3. Emotional regulation- monitoring, evaluating and modifying the intensity and timing of the emotional response

Exclusion can be counter productive to reducing negative behaviour, we are at risk of copying behaviour the student has experienced all their life.

We must teach the skills we want to see, we must praise them for doing this, the students who do not take praise well, need even more, they are not used to it!

Generally acting out is not due to the reward offered or the incentive, they simply don’t have the skills, knowledge or understanding to act appropriately

4 zones can be compared to traffic lights, green is fine, red needs to stop, blue - pull over for a rest, yellow zone is to slow down.

Each zones lesson runs for 30-60 minutes, if not ready to work in a small group then 1-1 must be done first.

Follow the book verbatim, no shortcuts just adaptations to suit our students, the activities in the book are aimed at students working at or above their age expectation

Pick our battles, we can’t always sweat the small stuff, otherwise we are at risk of constantly being on their case, think how that must feel…

The golden rule is that new skills/tools need to be taught when students are calm, once they have reached a heightened state there will be no learning done, we simply need to provide a space and time to calm.

What will we do/tell parents about this?  How will we educate them?

Calmer classrooms - Child safety commissioner , Victoria Australia

Have strong attachments to trusted adults at an early age builds resilience and helps students feel calm and “attached”.  A child needs to grow up with love so that they not only experience it and can depend on it but they also realise that they are worth loving.

A constant calm and reassuring parent has a dramatically different impact than the yelling, punishing and blaming parent.

A great example is a situation when they may be a dog who rushes into the front yard of a house, one parent may pick up and infant and soothe and reassure and the other might punish, yell and blame the child for being there.  Imagine the impact of using the wrong approach over a lifetime…

People become resilient and can cope better with stress in adult life if they are exposed to some stress in childhood.

Trauma comes in many different forms, often people think of terrorist attacks, earthquakes etc… but 80% of all trauma happens in the home setting.

Each time a young child is left cold, hungry, dirty or unattended this experience triggers a fear response, which turns to trauma if it goes on for too long.  This fear or terror can have the same effect on the brain and body of the child as abuse. It slows brain growth and social development.

Research indicates that the earlier intervention is applied, the greater the chance of recovery. The older the child and the longer they have been exposed, the harder it is to recover.  However, the presence of other caring adults in the child’s life will build resilience and maintain hope and provide a different template of possibility (Perry 2006)

Recovery from trauma will not occur unless the child is safe.  There is no hope for recovery from trauma if the trauma is still occuring.

It is therefore no surprise that this has an impact on learning.

Impacts on academic performance	Impacts on social relationships
Reduced cognitive capacity	Need for control (causes conflict)
Sleep disturbance therefore poor concentration	Attachment difficulties
Difficulties with memory (makes learning harder)	Poor peer relationships (making the school day an unpleasant experience)
Language delays ( reduced capacity for listening,understanding and expressing)	Unstable living situation ( reduced learning and capacity to engage with new school)

Some children who have a secure attachment at home, then feel safe and nurtured at school.  In some cases school can provide a secure attachment as an alternative to the adversity at home.

Trauma impacted students will manage change more easily if the focus is on the relationship and not the behaviour or behaviour management strategies.

The central concept to working with these children is to be in control of the relationship without being controlling.  The teacher sets the tone, rhythm and emotional quality. Not being able to control you emotionally will eventually teach the child that it is safe to trust you.

Keep the child close, maintain a high level of physical presence, support and supervision , as you would for a much younger child.

Try to avoid having the child control your emotions by making you upset or angry.  If you feel yourself becoming angry or feeling rejected or hurt, take a moment to reflect, calm yourself then come back to the interaction.  Use each other for support.

When we see negative behaviour, use statements to help get the desired outcome :

I see you need help with … (stopping an activity, moving to another part of the room, not kicking a chair etc…) Warnings and second chances are less helpful for these students.

When problems arise, address it directly and clearly - “You hit Jane, so you need to sit here with me until I decide that you can play without hurting others”

Time in not time out

Time out replicates the rejection these children have often experienced and reinforces the child’s internal working model of self as unloved.  Bring the child close, provide calming activities, speak quietly about how much fun it will be when she can join in and co-operate.

Consequences not punishment

Consequences should be natural, they should make sense to the child, designed to fix the problem or repair any damage to relationships etc…  Apologies, doing nice things for the person, cleaning the mess made etc…

The consequence MUST relate directly to the behaviour.

When praising students, ensure they understand why… rather than “good girl” or “well done”, try “I was impressed by how you ran so fast”

For children who are prone to aggressive outbursts, we must have a plan to deal with this, detailing who does what, when and where.  The parent or caregiver must be involved in this.

When highly aroused and dysregulated, the child is not able to think clearly or make good decisions. The child will also be terrified by their own lack of control, which heightens their emotions further. They will need to calm down and will not be able to respond to logical requests until they are calmer.

The other children...

We need to remember to debrief the other children, particularly if they have been directly involved.  They may need to have explained the schools process for dealing with these incidents.

Look after ourselves !

Reflection, regulation and relaxation.

Reflect

Take time to reflect on the child you are teaching, your relationship with the child and any support you may need.

• Reflect on the child’s behaviour. What were they doing, why.  Think about the information you now have about abuse and neglect.
• Try to understand the behaviour
• What are my thoughts/feelings?  Can I regulate?
• What were my responses?
• Where is our relationship at? Is the child able to connect with me?
• What assistance do I need?
• Who can I speak with about how I feel?

Regulate

It is important to acknowledge and regulate the feelings that teaching a child with trauma can have on you, we as adults have potentially experienced some type of trauma at some stage.

Manage your own responses by :

• Knowing the child might make you upset or angry in order to recreate familiar patterns
• Knowing that strong emotions are contagious
• Knowing what  your own trigger points are and what upsets you the most
• Taking time to calm
• Calling for support
• Having clear plans in place for when things go off track
• Debriefing after a major incident

Relaxation

This is vital to renew your energy.

• Make time for yourself and family
• Make time for yourself and things you are interested in, hobbies, time with friends etc…
• Keep a sense of humour
• Be patient and realistic with yourself