Teachers of young children can plan proactively so that they avoid some of the serious problem behaviors in the classroom. The strategies presented in this article are part of a problem solving approach to challenging behavior based on the principles of positive behavioral support. Although these methods presented here have research-based effectiveness, the classroom context is a changing and challenging environment that requires teachers to continue to work with children to determine the antecedents and the function of the behavior, and to develop instruction to teach children appropriate social skills. Important factors that are discussed include: opportunities for the child to respond with success, acknowledging children's appropriate behaviors, establishing a predictable classroom routine, planning for effective transitions, direct instruction in following directions, and identifying the function of the behavior for the child. In addition, children with ongoing behavior problems often need individualized reinforcement and systematic prompts and cues to be successful. When teachers develop plans to preempt challenging behaviors and teach children behavioral alternatives, they are helping the children to learn appropriate responses and thereby avoid referrals for serious problem behavior in the future.