Managing troublesome behaviour in the classroom is a problem faced by every secondary school teacher at some time. Some nursery and infant teachers claim that every year more and more young children are starting school with behavioural problems. Teachers too frequently complain of lessons being disrupted by unacceptable behaviour, and yet the important skills of effective classroom management are seldom mentioned in initial teacher training. The authors argue that the answer lies in positive teaching and show how by `accentuating the positive' and being more sensitive in their interactions, with children and young people in schools, teachers can build less stressful and more effective teaching and learning environments.