Buddy the Elf and PBIS: When Good Intentions Are Misunderstood

One of my favorite holiday movies is The Elf (link) with Will Ferrell. Buddy (the elf) had great intentions but was often misunderstood. Without knowing that he was raised by elves at the North Pole, people misinterpreted his attacking a “fake” Santa Claus and pouring syrup on spaghetti as a sign of instability. Like Buddy’s behavior, people can take parts of schoolwide models (link) out of context. Without understanding the entire framework, staff may misconstrue the intent behind interventions. This lack of knowledge leads to frustrations and misunderstandings. Implementers often start with good intentions, but their final results may not accurately reflect the actual model.