At Oaklands Te Kura o Ōwaka we use a range of strategies to create positive learning environments for everyone. One of the strategies we use is the Zones of Regulation.

Goals of the Zones

-Identify feelings and level of alertness.

-Understand feelings in context.

-Know effective regulation tools.

-Know when and how to use tools.

-Problem solve possible solutions.

-Understand how behaviours influence others thoughts and feelings.

-Move towards independent regulations

What are the Zones?

The Zones categorise all the different ways we feel and the states of alertness we experience into four concrete coloured zones (blue, green, yellow and red).  We use these four zones to describe and understand how our brain and body feels.  Zones framework provides strategies to teach all students to become more aware of and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, manage their sensory needs, and improve their ability to problem solve conflicts.  It allows students to build their capacity for resilience and their ability to self-regulate' their emotions when things go wrong.

How do we use the Zones?

The Zones are taught on weekly basis as a whole class as well as in smaller groups according to individual needs of students. Each team has a Zones display in their space which students use to identify what Zone they are in. Teachers use check in's on a daily basis to see how students are feeling and we use the Zones terminology in class when discussing how we are feeling and what tools/strategies we can use to help manage our zones both in the classroom and outside during our break times. Using their knowledge of the different tools and strategies that they can use to help manage each of the zones, students build their own toolbox full of tools and strategies that work for them in each of the Zones.