This paper examines perspectives and behaviors that veteran secondary urban physical education teachers engaged in to maintain order. Learning and order depend upon teacher beliefs and behaviors as well as students’ willingness to engage in learning opportunities. Doyle’s ecological paradigm (1977) provides a theoretical framework to examine teacher beliefs and behaviors that facilitate two highly context specific major tasks, learning and order (Doyle, 1986). Effective learning enhances maintenance of order and vice versa (Doyle, 1986; Rink, 2002). This study is significant for several reasons. First, with the exception of a few studies (Chen, 1999; Griffin, 1985; O’Sullivan, 1994), the lives and careers of urban physical education teachers have largely been ignored in pedagogical research, although teachers’ emic perspectives can greatly enrich the picture of daily routines in gymnasia. Second, while extensive research has been conducted on the instructional, managerial, and student social tasks and task systems operating in physical education (Hastie, 2000; Hastie & Siedentop, 1999; Supaporn, Dodds, & Griffin, 2003), little attention has been given to how veteran urban physical educators negotiate these task systems, and more particularly, how they create and maintain order to promote learning in educational environments typically described as difficult to manage. Data were collected from 9 urban physical education teachers (4 F; 5M) through interviews and observations and were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Findings indicated that de-escalation (i.e., reducing the strong emotions that are part of many disruptive incidents that threaten the maintenance of order) was a powerful theme reported by these veteran urban physical education teachers. De-escalation involved establishing reciprocal respect between teachers and students and using non-confrontational skills to intervene in situations that threatened to disrupt the order of the class. Reciprocal respect included teachers giving students respect and getting students’ respect. Non-confrontation involved (a) using soft imperatives and redirection, (b) maintaining patience and humor, and (c) anticipating students’ behaviors. These results indicate that maintaining order to facilitate learning in urban secondary physical education classes is linked to both proactive and responsive teacher behaviors used to de-escalate tensions. Urban school contexts may require teachers to use specialized skills to create and maintain order. Understanding how de-escalation occurs through specific teacher behaviors around respect and non-confrontation can enhance both initial teacher preparation and professional development for veteran teachers who teach in urban environments. Keyword(s): high school issues, professional development, professional preparation