Thank you for all your feedback. I received a request for a intermediate schedule. Although the one posted yesterday can be used in the intermediate classroom I agree it is more primary based. I was very appreciative for the attached list of subjects and activities to guide me in  the creation of this new schedule. Enjoy! And remember your intermediate students can benefit from a visual schedule too!

Intermediate Visual Schedule

Imagine yourself waking up tomorrow morning and having no idea what your day is going to look like. Sure, you know you are expected to show up at work, but what if that was all you knew? How would your anxiety level be? What would you be feeling?

Kids are the same way. True, it is not their job to plan and deliver lessons, but it is their job to be active learners. So if they are worried about what is coming next… or if they perceive that “math is going to go on forever!” are they actively engaged in what you are teaching anyways?

Front loading helps all students, not just those with behavioural concerns. Try implementing a visual schedule at the front of your class and going over the shape of the day verbally with your class at the beginning of each day. (Schedules can be downloaded and printed from our visuals page). But what if the day plan changes, you ask? — A math lesson is interrupted by a fire alarm, or that science experiment goes longer then expected. This is okay. The visual schedule is not a contract that must be followed to the letter. In fact changes in the day are a great opportunity to teach flexible thinking. Remember to let kids in on what the change is and how it is going to look instead.

30 Reasons to Use Visual Schedules

This article / list was put together by POPARD, so it focuses on the benefits for children with Autism. However, the benefits of a visual schedule can be reaped by all students (and it can help keeps us teachers on track too)!

Download, Print and Share!

Classroom wide visual schedule

To be used as a whole class Shape of the Day. Place in a chart or attach flat magnets to the back of the cards before laminating. Click above for the entire schedule

Daily trackers – intensive support for individual students

I came across a  list of picture books about emotions while seeking books to supplement the SuperFlex program. This list categorizes the books by anger, curiosity/anticipation, embarrassment, envy/jealousy, fear/courage, grief/loss, happiness/joy, hate, loneliness, love/compassion/affection, sadness/disappointment/hurt, and general (for those books that encompass all feelings or do not fit into a specific category). There are A LOT of books to choose from. Browse your school library for copies and don’t forget about the Henry Grube library! The public library is also a great place to check out.

Picture Books about Emotions

I came across and have reviewed this new self-regulation curriculum recently and am quite excited about it.

Synopsis from Odin Books:

This curriculum has lessons and activities designed to help students gain skills in the area of self-regulation. Students can learn to recognize when they are in the different Zones (states of alertness/moods) as well as learn how to use strategies (including sensory supports, calming techniques, and thinking strategies) to regulate the Zone they are in. Students can also increase their vocabulary of emotional terms, skills in reading facial expressions, perspective on how others see and react to their behavior, insight on events that trigger their behavior, calming and alerting strategies, and problem solving skills.

Author Leah M. Kuypers, MA Ed. OTR/L draws from the knowledge of many familiar people and incorporates/adapts many well used programs in her curriculum too. These include: Kari Dunn Buron & Mitzi Curtis’ “The Incredible 5-point Scale“, Michelle Garcia Winner’s “Social Behavior Mapping” and “SuperFlex“, Ross Greene’s “Collaborative Problem Solving” and Mary Sue Williams & Sherry Shellenberger’s “Alert Program” aka “How Does You Engine Run?“.

Social Responsibility Traffic Lights:

If you are already currently using the social responsibility traffic light model in your classroom or school, Kuyper’s curriculum shares many attributes. There is a discrepancy when it comes to the Blue Zone. In social responsibility, this colour signifies excellence or Blue Ribbon behaviour, while in The Zones of Regulation the Blue Zone is used top describe low states of alertness.

The Zones of Regulation: (Kuypers, 2011, p. 9)

The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness, such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or board

The Green Zone is used to describe a regulated state of alertness. This includes calm, happy, focused, or content.

The Yellow Zone is used to describe a heightened state of alertness, although the person still maintains some control. This may look like stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, nervousness, confusion or sensory seeking.

The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness ore very intense feelings. This may be anger, rage, explosive behaviour, panic or terror. This can be explained by not being in control of one’s body.

Who Can Benefit from this Curriculum?

• Students with neurological and mental health disorders
• Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
• Selective Mutism
• Anxiety Disorders
• Everyone can benefit from The Zones of Regulation! – Think Universal Design for Learning.

Although the Zones can be taught and practiced with your entire class, The Zones for Regulation curriculum is intended to be delivered in a small group setting (2-4 students) or a group a larger group (8-10 students) with two facilitators.

Kuypers’ incorporates various literature, such as Janan Cain’s “The Way I Feel“, and digital media, like “Finding Nemo“, within her curriculum. Odin also sells a poster of the Zones (see left). The book also comes with a CD-ROM which includes colour and black/white copies of the PDF’s included in the book, as well as examples.

We are considering the creation of Zone Tubs which would be available to sign out from the Henry Grube Library. These would include The Zones of Regulation book, The Zones of Regulation poster, and literature and digital media found within the lesson plans. We would appreciate any feedback on this including your desire to use this curriculum. Please leave your comments below!

Many teachers and classrooms this year  are already embracing the Bucketfilling books.  We are busy creating six Bucket Bins that will be ready to sign out from the Henry Grube Library soon.

Check out our new page Bucket Bins for more information on what will be included in these bins, to download lesson plans, and to view a classroom bucket chart.

If you are already using the Bucket books in your class we would live to hear about you experiences. Also if you have any resources you would like to share, please send them to us and we can post them on our page. Here are some ideas for Filling Buckets With Holiday Joy.

http://jackson.stark.k12.oh.us/Strausser.cfm?subpage=1183549

We have received a huge order of self regulation resources recently. We have had them catalouged in the Henry Grube Library and they are now available to sign out! Search the library database or come over and see what we have on the shelves!

Some examples of what you will find…

• Timers
• Pea Pods
• Body Socks
• Disco-seats
• Weighted dogs/turtles
• Sensory balls
• Cooperative game – Comfort Zoomer
• Vibrating snake
• Mr. Bee massager
• Rocking Rody Rider
• Flying discs
• Core disc spinner
• Weighted Super Hero cape
• Earphones
• Loop Scissors
• Fidgets – Squash it-Whisperer, sensory balls
• Image captor
• Stretchy pets
• Yacker Tracker

A big thank you to Andrea Wallin and the Henry Grube Library for their generous contribution towards the purchase of these resources!