It could be a spelling test, a presentation, or paying attention during a lesson.
There are those days where stress and our emotions make it hard to focus and affect the way we perform.
That’s why staff at Eagle Elementary is putting a focus on teaching students new tools to help clear their mind in stressful moments.
Zones of Regulation
Finding your zone and regulating your alertness.
Eagle Elementary students have been adding some extra meaning to recess and hallway activities by choosing special equipment to share their emotions.
It could be throwing a ball, standing on a balance block, or using a shaker full of glitter.
Frank Daley, school social worker at Eagle Elementary, said the goal is to give students a tool box of ways to regulate their emotions.
“Build mind-body awareness so that they can recognize when they change zones and pick a tool.” Daley said.
Different zones of regulation:
- Blue – low alertness (sad, tired, sick, bored
- Green – ideal alertness (calm, happy, focused, content)
- Yellow – heightened alertness (stress, frustration, anxious, silliness)
- Red – extremely heightened alertness (anger, rage, panic)
Daley said knowing these zones creates a common language for adults and students to more easily share how they’re feeling in a given moment..
“Maybe they can’t quite label the feeling, but they can let an adult know,” Daley said.
Move Mindfully
Students are learning other mindfulness tools like breathing exercises and movements through the program Move Mindfully.
Move mindfully puts an emphasis on using breathing, movement and rest activities to address stress and trauma.
Furthermore, The goal is is to maximize physical, mental and emotional wellbeing through these types of exercises.
Daley said these tools can be used by students to help eliminate mental blocks from being in a zone of ideal alertness, or as you’d say if you were at Eagle Elementary, the green zone.
“The way you move your body releases the feelings in your body,” Daley said.