This paper summarizes one teacher educator's experiences using videotaped episodes from her own high school teaching days to generate discussion about the teaching and learning of mathematics. The paper argues for increased use in teacher education of videotaped episodes that focus on the students rather than the teacher. It also explores the value of having the teacher whose classroom is featured on the tapes present for the discussion of the episodes. Data for the paper are drawn from the teacher educator's experiences with preservice teachers in mathematics methods classes at the University of British Columbia. Data also come from the teacher educator's experiences in workshops with practicing teachers from surrounding school districts. The data suggest that video extracts have the power to draw viewers close to the complexities of teaching and learning in classrooms while releasing them from the concern of having to attend to all that is happening in the classroom. (Contains 25 references.) (SM)