Recently, for the first time in forever, I watched an episode of Leave It To Beaver.

As I watched, I saw unfold before me exactly how most of the behavioral problems Ted had at school should have been handled. Sadly, Teddy was singled-out and punished for his behavior without the time taken to discover what prompted the behavior. Over and over I would say to the school, “What was the ANTECEDENT? What was the WHY of his behavior?” But they didn’t take the time to find out and in not doing so they missed out on understanding the reason for the behavior, and consequently, they missed the opportunity to teach him appropriate behavior. Moreover, and just as importantly, they broke Teddy’s trust in them.

I believe watching a condensed, 10 minute version of this episode, Her Idol, should be required curriculum in all education schools. Continue reading →