An instructional module designed to help prepare college-level teaching assistants (TAs) for their duties in second language instruction is presented. The purpose of this module is to assist TAs in integrating what they are learning about teaching methods, language acquisition, and the nature of the profession. There are five parts, each consisting of a narrative section, followed generally by questions for discussion and suggestions for action. An annotated list of suggestions for additional reading is also provided. In the first part, some initial difficulties of entering the profession as a TA are discussed, and the second part reflects on the nature of expertise in language education. Part three presents one model of professional development, the reflective practice model, and part four presents the teaching portfolio as a strategy for long-term professional development and documentation of that development. The final section offers suggestions of ways to begin developing a professional profile while in graduate school. Contains 18 references. (Author/MSE)