The Zones of Regulation

My second item of interest is a book called The Zones of Regulation which is a curriculum designed to foster self-regulation and emotional control. The curriculum's learning activities are presented in 18 lessons. The Zones of Regulation is a conceptual framework is designed to be taught by anyone who works with students who struggle with self-regulation. This curriculum is used to teach students: how to identify their feelings and levels of alertness, effective regulation tools, when and how to use the tools, problem solve positive solutions, understand how their behaviors influence others' thoughts and feelings. This can include, but not limited to special education and regular education teachers, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, psychologists, counselors, social workers, and parents.

I decided to share this curriculum because it can help us as social workers teach clients how to learn to express what they are feeling and explore their reactions and behavior. For instance, social workers can use this as a check-in. It is suggested to use and introduce the concept of the zones with the wall posters for a visual. A social worker can share the four zones and describe how it would be used during their session and have the client express how their brain and body feels before and after the session.

When a person is in a blue zone, their body is running slow, such as when you are tired, sick, sad or bored. The green zone is described to be as a green street light, meaning "good to go". If a person is in the green zone a person might feel happy, calm and focused. The yellow zone is compared to a caution sign meaning to slow down. A person in this zone may feel frustrated, overwhelmed, silly, excited, anxious or surprised. When someone is in the red zone, they might be out of control meaning; feeling extreme emotions such as terror, uncontrolled anger, and aggression. In this zone, you have trouble making smart choices and must stop and take a breather. This curriculum also promotes learning sensory and perspective-taking strategies to encourage self-regulation in a variety of scenarios.

In the context of my internship at District 104, my supervisor and I plan to use this curriculum material when working with students.  This serves as a great tool because we can share with teachers and parents to help students identify what they are feeling and learn how to self-regulate. This curriculum is appropriate for all ages and can be tailored for students and groups if necessary.

 I hope this is helpful to you and your practice! Below is an image of the book! I highly recommend.

 .   

GoNoodle 

My first item of interest is one that is used at the school I work at. Gages Lake school is a therapeutic school for kids who may struggle in a standard academic setting and who may have fallen behind due to emotional, behavioral or other psychological challenges. Gonoodle is a tool that is used to provide desk-side movements that allow kids to achieve more by keeping them engaged and motivated throughout the day. It provides many different opportunities for short or long movement breaks to get kids up and moving. There are different categories to choose from depending on what you want to focus on. This tool is normally used with children that are 5-12 years old. This website is great because it is free because it can be used anywhere by educators, family and kids can use it. 

https://www.gonoodle.com/

GoNoodle is connected to evidence-based practice for many reasons. It boosts productivity, improves behavior and builds community. Students who move and practice mindfulness with this program tend to be more focused, engaged and ready to learn. It improves behavior because it gives kids the opportunity for kids to move and learn different mindfulness skills to manage their emotions. Study shows that students who use GoNoodle are involved in fewer behavioral incidents. GoNoodle also builds fun into classrooms by boosting students' confidence and providing the opportunity for peer to peer connections. Gonoodle could be connected to the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy model because it incorporates meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation. Through these techniques, CBT teaches children to take control of their own emotions. 

Second Step

The item of interest that I chose is Second Step Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Program. Programs are available for grades as young as pre-kindergarten through 8^th grade with each program being tailored for the grade that it is being used for. Second Step also provides anti-bullying and child protection programs as well. The program I specifically focused on was the Second Step SEL for elementary students. I chose this program because it is evidence based and it is endorsed by the Department of Education as being proven to decrease behavior problems in students. This program would fall under the home-school-community linkages in the school social work model.

            Each grade gets their own customized boxes. All the boxes contain lessons that explain the concepts, objectives, and preparation needed. The lessons clearly lay out what is intended to be done during each session. This can include watching a short video, listening to a story, or playing a game. Second Step SEL is intended to have one lesson be worked on for five days. The first day the initial lesson is taught, such as empathy, listening with attention, and being assertive. The following four days are intended to practice what was taught in the initial day or what Second Step calls “follow through.” The programs also consist of materials to be sent home with the students. The parents are provided with activities and information on the lesson that is being taught that week, so that they can reinforce and work on those lessons at home as well. The programs also come with resource DVDs and online materials, including Spanish translations, for the teachers to use to supplement the lessons.

www.secondstep.org