This case study of three teacher education programs in California colleges aimed to answer two questions through informal interviews of methods course instructors and analysis of the associated course syllabi: First, what assumptions or theories of professional development appear to inform the various methods courses for preservice secondary English teachers? Second, how do these assumptions shape the way that preservice teachers in these methods courses are taught to teach writing? These assumptions and theories include little to no instruction in the teaching of writing to pedagogy firmly rooted in teaching writing. This study concludes with four major findings that reflect current writing pedagogy in three secondary English methods courses. This research is relevant to teacher educators because it suggests that "writing instruction"--depending on how the term is defined--is occurring in the methods course but that factors outside of the methods classroom should be included in further research of how preservice secondary English teachers are taught to teach writing.