The Green Zone Program is a specialized social-emotional educational program designed specifically for students with externalizing behaviors. It combines elements from the Zone of Regulation Program, Mind Up Curriculum, and Explosive Child thinking, and incorporates a multi-graded classroom with a low adult-to-student ratio. The program focuses on individualized learning, allowing students to work at their own level of literacy and numeracy while emphasizing co-regulation strategies until students can develop self-regulation skills.
The Zone of Regulation Program is a framework that helps students recognize and manage their emotions and behavior. It teaches them to identify and understand their emotional states and provides strategies to regulate and adapt their behavior accordingly. By incorporating this program, the Green Zone Program helps students with externalizing behaviors gain awareness of their emotions and learn effective self-regulation techniques.
The Mind Up Curriculum is a comprehensive program that combines neuroscience, mindfulness, and social-emotional learning. It equips students with the tools to understand and manage their emotions, develop empathy and resilience, and cultivate a positive mindset. By integrating the Mind Up Curriculum, the program provides students with a range of strategies to enhance their emotional well-being and build stronger social connections.
Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS), developed by Dr. Ross Greene, emphasizes collaborative problem-solving and understanding the underlying reasons behind challenging behaviors. This approach recognizes that externalizing behaviors are often a result of underlying difficulties or unmet needs. By adopting this perspective, the Green Zone aims to address the root causes of challenging behaviors and work towards mutually satisfactory solutions. It emphasizes the importance of empathy, active listening, and problem-solving to create mutually beneficial solutions.
The Green Zone's multi-graded classroom allows students of different ages and abilities to learn together, fostering collaboration, empathy, and peer support. The low adult-to-student ratio ensures that each student receives individualized attention and support tailored to their specific needs. This personalized approach enables students to progress at their own pace in literacy and numeracy, which can contribute to their overall academic and emotional development.
Co-regulation strategies play a vital role in the program, especially in the early stages. Co-regulation involves a supportive and nurturing relationship between adults and students, where adults actively assist and guide students in managing their emotions and behaviors. By employing co-regulation strategies, such as modeling appropriate behaviors, providing clear expectations, and offering guidance, the program helps students gradually develop the skills necessary for self-regulation.
As students become more proficient in self-regulation, the program encourages them to take ownership of their emotions and behaviors. They learn to apply the strategies they have acquired independently, making progress towards becoming self-regulated learners.
Overall, the Green Zone Program is a specialized social-emotional educational program that provides a holistic and tailored approach to support students with externalizing behaviors. By incorporating elements from the Zone of Regulation Program, Mind Up Curriculum, and Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS), and combining them with a multi-graded classroom, individualized learning, and coregulation strategies, the program aims to foster emotional well-being, social growth, and academic success in its students.