An impediment to teaching that occurs with many students who have severe disabilities is problem behavior during teaching sessions. This paper describes "preference-based teaching", a recently developed means of reducing problem behavior by making teaching programs enjoyable for students. Preference-based teaching begins with actions taken prior to beginning teaching sessions to set the occasion for an enjoyable student experience. A step-wise process subsequently is used to incorporate student preferences within the teaching process. Brief, preferred activities are conducted immediately before initiating a teaching session to enhance student responsiveness to the teacher. Preferred activities are then built into the instructional process (e.g., interspersing easy instructional tasks or brief breaks), and each teaching session is followed by a highly preferred student activity. Results of applied research have supported the efficacy and practicality of enhancing student enjoyment through preference-based teaching, resulting in benefits for both student and teacher.