Building Routines & Positive Behavior Strategies with "Academically April"

In this episode of the Helping Families Be Happy podcast, host Adina Oberman talks to April, an educator and member of the PBIS team in her California school district. April shares her strategies for building effective classroom routines and the importance of positive behavior interventions. They also discuss how parents can implement similar routines at home to encourage consistency and set clear expectations for their children. April emphasizes the importance of moving from tangible incentives to intrinsic motivation for students, both in the
classroom and at home.

Episode Highlights
00:00:10: Introduction to the podcast episode and guest April's background.
00:01:39: Discussion on building effective routines and strategies for classroom management.
00:02:56: Techniques for establishing and maintaining classroom routines, emphasizing the initial weeks.
00:03:41: The importance of consistent routines for children, both in school and at home.
00:04:15: Suggestions for parents on implementing effective routines at home.
00:05:28: Tips on using timers and visual schedules to create home routines.
00:06:19: Visual aids as a helpful tool for children to understand daily scheduling.
00:08:10: Explanation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and its implementation at April's school.
00:10:16: The role of community, including teachers and parents, in reinforcing positive behaviors.
00:11:45: The connection between school and home expectations through positive behavior strategies.
00:13:56: Encouragement to transition from incentives to intrinsic motivation for children.
00:14:48: Discussion on building values and community engagement within children.
00:17:00: Information on how to connect with April online for further insights.

Key Takeaways

• Establishing consistent routines can significantly aid in children's adaptability both at school and at home.
• Implementing visual aids and timers can help children better understand and follow daily schedules.
• Positive behavior interventions require collaboration between schools and families to be most effective.
• Parents should work towards fostering intrinsic motivation in children to encourage self-motivated positive behavior.

Tweetable Quotes

• "Consistency makes kids really successful." - April, Educator and PBIS Team Member
• "We want those incentives to go away so children act because they feel good about it." - April, Educator
• "A community approach is essential for positive behavior reinforcement in children." - Adina Oberman, Podcast Host.