This article presents a scenario which is a classic example of a student becoming frustrated because her needs are not being met. Unequipped to advocate for herself in a socially acceptable manner, Marcy, a 12-year-old, sixth-grade student diagnosed with an emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD), used the most effective strategy in her repertoire--losing self-control. Naturally, the teacher responds quickly, frustrated by this display. In spite of the reprimand, Marcy is satisfied with the results. From her perspective, she has accomplished her goal of gaining the teacher's attention in order to ask her a question. Marcy represents over 470,000 students who receive special education services in a public school setting for EBDs. Marcy, like many other students with EBD, is unaware that other equally effective, more socially acceptable strategies exist for meeting her needs. Like Marcy, many students with EBD demonstrate a lack of appropriate social skills and are considered to have a social skills deficit. ("Social skills" are defined as a set of behaviors that allow individuals to initiate and maintain positive social relationships, contribute to peer acceptance, and allow for effective coping). A social skills deficit can take the form of noncompliance with school procedures, physical or verbal aggression, or defiance of authority figures. An appropriate intervention for Marcy might be social skills training (SST). SST is a positive, proactive intervention, designed to teach specific social behavior by replacing negative behaviors with more desirable ones. It results in positive judgments of social competence by peers and adults. SST can be implemented with a published curriculum or by making appropriate modifications to present classroom practices that are anchored in various conceptual frameworks. This article discusses the ZIPPER strategy, which uses the mnemonic acronym ZIPPER to teach appropriate behavior. In an emotionally triggering situation, a student reminds himself or herself to: (1) Zip his or her mouth; (2) Identify the problem; (3) Pause; (4) Put himself or herself in charge; (5) Explore choices; and (6) Reset. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)