The basic purpose of this text is to provide teachers with a practical guide for understanding and improving classroom management. Case studies included in the publication represent problems and issues common to urban, suburban, and rural school districts and personnel. Chapter 1, which focuses on broad perspectives on discipline, provides a historical overview and definitions, followed by discussions of regionalism and discipline, violence in the schools, and attitudes toward educators' use of corporal punishment. Chapter 2 views discipline from the perspectives of theory, research, and practice. Discussion concerns tips for getting off to a good start in classroom management; organizational and instructional procedures; the process of understanding student needs and behaviors; development of self-discipline; and culturally different students. Case studies from early childhood and elementary education settings and from middle school, junior high school, and senior high school settings are presented in chapters 3 and 4. Forty-seven references are cited, and an appendix lists 17 general resources as well as selected resource materials on self-development, discipline, and classroom management. (RH)