This article presents findings from an action research study that investigates the impact of an inquiry project designed to help better prepare pre-service middle level teacher interns for their work with English language learners (ELLs). The inquiry project combined a "rounds" approach with ethnographic observation to help pre-service interns see beneath the surface of school life and to better understand the kinds of multilayered transitions that middle level ELLs navigate on a daily basis. Three questions guide this ongoing action research project: (1) What do the interns tend to see and hear during the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) rounds experience? (2) What do the interns learn from or value in the ESOL rounds experience? and (3) In what ways can the ESOL rounds experience be improved? Data suggest that interns view the rounds inquiry project as a valuable learning experience; their assumptions about ELLs are challenged during the experience; they notice differences in behavior as ELLs transition from one class to another; and they tend to focus on language use during their observations. Recommendations for implementing rounds in teacher education programs are provided, and further implications of this research for teacher education are discussed.