When a child's behavior is overwhelming to adults, s/he is often seen as “manipulative.” In fact the child's defenses are apparent in actions that are disruptive to maturational and learning processes. Understanding the symbolic meaning of the behavior provides the tools for a constructive response in the classroom, where the goal is to resolve resistances to cognitive and social development. The author presents three cases, in which the teacher used her awareness of emotional blocks to participation in the educational setting to respond to flight and oppositional behaviors. The use of fairy tales, feelingful joining and mirroring, and persistent personal presence led to verbal communication between teacher and student and increased cooperation.