This article examines instruction at a school in California for expelled middle school students and illustrates the practices of its most and least effective teachers. Findings show that teachers' implementation of instructional practices, classroom management, and rapport building mutually reinforced each other to either facilitate or hinder teachers' daily goals. Furthermore, a focus on punitive discipline in this context reinforced ineffective teacher practices. Though this study focuses on a school serving expelled students, lessons learned apply to all teachers and administrators working with disaffected young adolescents. (Contains 4 notes.)