The purpose of this essay is to present some principles, assumptions, and techniques that might be useful for inservice teacher educators or prospective teachers. Teacher educators should try first of all to focus on teachers' understandings of situations in order to help make those understandings more appropriate, more accurate, deeper, and more finely differentiated than they had been before. Beyond this, they should focus on strengthening desirable dispositions, maintaining competencies already acquired, building long-term relationships, and providing moderate amounts of inspiration and encouragement so long as it is specifically related to the work setting. Inservice teacher educators should try to further the goals implied by these principles through certain general techniques; i.e., these educators need to: (1) maintain an optimum distance from the teachers they are instructing; (2) cultivate the habit of suspending judgment; (3) phrase suggestions in experimental form; (4) avoid the temptation to stop pattern behavior; (5) help teachers define their job so that its objectives are achievable; (6) serve as a neutralizer of conflicts; (7) use demonstrations of skills; (8) share their understanding of how teachers see them; and (9) resist the temptation to "use" or exploit teachers. General information about the ERIC system and the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education is included. Contains 10 references. (MDM)