This paper reports on a study of the teacher education practices and student characteristics that contribute to successful teachers of minority children, particularly African-American, whose background differs from their own. The study was conducted over two years on cohorts of students from a reflective teacher education program. First year results indicated that student teachers and first-year teachers experienced difficulties but persisted in teaching in ways consistent with the goals and models of the teacher education program. Both cohorts reported that a major hurdle was coming to grips with their students' home life; they were unprepared for the conditions of their students' lives and behaviors. Difficulties for some students resulted from incongruence of their teaching models and those of their cooperating teachers. Isolation was also a frequent complaint of these first-year teachers who suddenly found themselves in minority status. Student teachers and first-year teachers reported similar experiences in the second year of the study. Findings indicated that teachers and student teachers had problems relating to children's lives outside of school and that only one teacher experienced a school climate that gave her needed information and support. (Contains 16 references.) (ND)