This study was conducted at Mississippi State University (MSU) Meridian, to evaluate the student teaching experience and to determine adjustments required to improve the teacher education program. Participants consisted of 81 elementary, secondary, and special education students from two MSU campuses. Instruments utilized in the study included a 38-item, 5-point scale, and student journals describing attitudes toward the classroom, the supervising teacher, the university supervisor, the students, and the actual teaching encounters. A review of related literature recommends careful analysis of the cooperating teachers' qualifications and careful matching of student teachers with supervising teachers. Findings suggest that: (1) student teachers need assistance in the undergraduate classes to deal with the pressures and difficulties of the student teaching experience; and (2) an assessment of personality factors of prospective teachers can determine if certain characteristics predispose students to success or failure in the student teaching programs. An appendix lists key words and/or descriptors (both positive and negative terms) for analysis of student teaching journals generated by faculty and by students. (LL)