Adults learn differently than children or adolescents (Brookfield, 1986; Dewey, 1938; Kegan, 1994; Kolb, 1984; Mezirow, 2000). A thorough understanding of how adults learn is imperative to the successful education of adults. It is only by understanding the unique ways in which adults learn that the academy can create environments where adults learn and thrive. One area of adult education which has been inundated with criticism is teacher education. It is in this field that the author chose to investigate adult learning in order to identify what is important to adult learners in their journey toward becoming successful teachers. The study results identify elements of learning of central importance to adults striving to be highly effective classroom teachers. These elements, if applied to teacher education, have the potential to improve how future teachers are taught. This study specifically targets the adult participants' transformations from a teacher education program into careers as secondary teachers. The purpose is to determine what adults identify as relevant to learning so that it can be used to improve the effectiveness of teacher education. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)