Tricky Treat

Recently, I was consulting with a kindergarten teacher who felt frustrated by a child’s “disruptive behavior.” The behavior, she said, was getting worse.

We often remind our clients: if a behavior is happening, there’s reinforcement somewhere in the environment.

I asked to observe the classroom. Within five minutes, I saw Zach get reprimanded for leaving his seat. The teacher sent him to the principal’s office, where he was seated at a computer and allowed to play games until it was time to return.

We’re not always present to see the reinforcement maintaining a behavior—but it’s always there.