Lesson 7: Supports for home use

Why should we use these tools at home?

Pandemic Impacts- with the impacts of a pandemic, we sometimes never know when we might in the classroom or teaching virtually. With that, it is important that the adults at home caring for our learners have the tools they need to support self-regulation and social emotional learning.

Parent Training- In my building, parent training has been a huge topic of discussion. We want to ensure that parents and guardians have the tools to support their learners needs at home. These tools are a way to provide informal parent trainings. Parents/guardians need to still make the choice to use them, however, it something is provided to them.

Transfer of knowledge- In the other units, we spoke about the importance of ensuring that these skills are transferrable to real world situations. When the skills taught are also used at home, students can see how coping skills can be used in the real world (outside of school). Additionally, students then get double the time to learn the skill since it is no longer just being taught in the classroom, but is also being taught at home.

Tools for at home use

The following is the Zones of Regulations COVID-19 Teaching supports: [1] I found this to be an incredible resource as it walks teachers through many way to incorporate the Zones of Regulation into their home.

Be sure to do check-in, the website lists Flipgrid as a way to conduct check-ins. I have also used Google forms for students to identify what Zone they are in that morning or throughout the day.

Virtual games- Students can practice sorting their feelings into Zones through virtual games.

At home Zones check-in- This is an activity that you can have families do at home. They can use the materials around them to create their own Zones Check-in for the family. Make sure that your families understand the each Zone is okay to feel and how to label all the zones.

Hand outs for at home- The website above has some great handouts that you can print and give to families.

At home coping skills

Designate a private place in the students shelter where they can go when they are upset.
Coloring
Tearing up paper (Save items that you may want to shred in a basket (items with personal information). This can be a go to box when someone is in red zone.
Play-dough - You can even make it as a fun binding activity!
Breathing
Yoga- Cosmic kids is a fun family yoga channel on youtube that will allow for some calm-down time.

Parent/Guardian support

The following link has some great SEL tools that can be used at home. [2] While these are not directly aligned to the Zones of Regulation, it still has some great tools to provide families.

Just like your students, be sure that the families you are working with feel validated and supported.
These ideas may be new to many families and they are breaking old habits of parenting. Be kind and patient.
Each family may require something different and a different level of support.

The following is another amazing resource for bother teachers and parents. This has many guides to different aspects of the child's' mind. [3]

Lesson Wrap up

Now that we have learned about some tools that can be used at home, use the following google form to create a list of tools that you might want to send home with one of your learners. [4]

When you done, move on to Lesson 8: Lesson 8: Creating a Resource