As learning standards continue to evolve to reflect the emergent needs of 21st Century learners, teachers are finding themselves in positions where they need to adapt in order to survive. For teachers of complicated disciplines, like the English language arts (ELA), where they are tasked with teaching a variety of areas, this further distorts their understanding of their field and what it is they are supposed to be teaching. When preparing the next generation of teachers for this challenging educational climate, ELA teacher education programs need to model purposeful teaching, making explicit connections between content and the standards, while guiding these preservice teachers (PSTs) to better understand the field of ELA and the role of the teacher. This qualitative study explored the ways in which engaging in an arts-based "aesthetic response" (Rosenblatt, 1956; 1978/1994; 1983; 1986; 1995) approach to content in a graduate level ELA methods course could help preservice ELA teachers to better understand the field of ELA, the role of the teacher, and how they themselves could better meet the needs of their future students. Through close analysis of six PSTs reflections on learning through this aesthetic response approach, I found that inviting an arts-based form of response enabled them to make more personal connections between themselves and their content. Further, I came to understand how shared vulnerability and shared experience could enable PSTs to address challenges together, as a community of practice, to overcome obstacles in teaching. The findings of this study suggest a need for the inclusion of more purposeful, personally fulfilling, multimodal and arts-based approaches to teaching and learning in ELA teacher education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]