The current study uses a grounded theory approach to examine how veteran elementary school teachers provide a safe learning environment and classroom context for their defiant and physically aggressive students. The study explores how educators develop trusting student teacher relationships with their students, how teachers set the tone for the classroom, how discipline policies and rules are developed in the classroom, and how effective teachers feel regarding the strategies that they choose to use. Through in-depth interviews with five early elementary school teachers, the current qualitative study found narrative examples of defiance and physical aggression in the classroom, a variety of behavior and classroom management strategies utilized by teachers, and common feelings of ineffectiveness in dealing with challenging behaviors as newly credentialed teachers.