Drawing on culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and the development of cultural competence, this study explores how teacher learners in a critical inquiry group narrated and discussed their urban field experiences, particularly in regard to equity-oriented literacy education. More specifically, this study demonstrates both the impact that deep-seated deficit perspectives had on how the teacher learners approached their work as educators and the tensions they felt between engaging in CRP and maintaining high standards. The article ends by offering a heuristic for "critical practice-based field experiences" as a way of contextualizing practice within school-based teacher learning.