Few studies address what graduate students actually learn in teacher training courses, or how graduate instructors implement their knowledge of teaching in their classrooms. Our research addresses the apparent divergence among advocacy, training, and actual practice through a comparative analysis of graduate instructor teaching philosophies and graduate instructor teaching behavior. The research methodology includes a self evaluation survey of teaching styles for instructors to present their teaching philosophies, as well as observations of classroom techniques employed by graduate instructors. This study is a pilot project for future investigations of graduate student instructors and teaching effectiveness by including our findings along with insights for improvement. After examining the data from the surveys and evaluations, we offer recommendations for the discipline of political science to improve teacher training and address the concerns of universities about the quality of teachers produced. (Contains 3 tables and 6 notes.)