To understand and deal with student behavior, we must understand that most behavior is caused by objects and events in the world around the student; that students have learned personal ways of relating to those objects and events; and that in a setting like a school it is easier and more productive to alter those objects and events than to change students' psychological makeup or to affect directly the way they have learned to react. Discipline problems can more often be traced to dysfunctions in the interpersonal climate and organizational patterns of the school than to malfunctions in the individual. Teaching students self-discipline requires improving practices, structures, and relationships in the school to reinforce the development of good behavior habits. This chapter of"Helping Teachers Manage Classrooms" describes eight features of schools that have a strong relationship to discipline: patterns of communication, problem-solving, and decision-making; patterns of authority and status; procedures for developing and implementing rules; student "belongingness"; relationships with parents and community forces; processes for dealing with personal problems; the curriculum and instructional practices; and the physical environment. Behaviors that seem productive and procedures for overcoming dysfunctions are discussed for each area. (Author/PGD)