A methodology for conducting research on managing the disruptive student based on identifying successful teacher strategies is described. The subjects of this study were teachers selected as being outstanding or average in their ability to cope with behavior problems. Data collection included two half-day classroom observations, a structured interview in which each teacher responded to a series of written vignettes depicting student behavior problems, and an open-ended interview in which the teacher discussed general strategies for dealing with each of 12 types of problem behaviors. Preliminary analyses of the data indicated that student disobedience and disruptive behavior provoke more intense and less effective teacher responses than do instructional problems. Also significant differences and responses to problems seem to favor teachers who view themselves as both instructors and socializers over those who view themselves as just instructors. (JD)