In this episode, Leah Kuypers, creator of The Zones of Regulation and founder and CEO of The Zones of Regulation, Inc., joins Larissa to talk about why schools expect students to regulate but rarely teach them how. They discuss what regulation actually means, what support looks like across MTSS tiers, and the common ways a well-meaning framework turns into a compliance tool. Leah also explains why the adults in the building are part of the work, not just the ones delivering it.

Resources:

The Zones of Regulation

Zones of Regulation Training Offerings (including Regulation 101)

Link for Resources Leah mentioned:

The Zones Climate Rubric and MTSS and Zones of Regulation Crosswalk

Leah Kuypers LinkedIn

Tier 1 Behavior and School Climate Guide for School Leaders

Classroom Management Is Much More Than Discipline

Changing the Way (and the Reason) You Document Behavior

Takeaways:

• Regulation is developmental, just like learning to read.
• Being regulated means meeting the moment, not staying calm.
• You can’t impose a strategy on a student in the heat of the moment.
• Make regulation the norm for every student, not the exception for a few.
• Model your own regulation out loud so students see adults doing it too.
• Read behavior referral data for the missing skill, not a reason to crack down.
• Let students name their own zone, and never use the zones to label them.
• Shift staff mindsets before introducing any regulation curriculum.

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