For many novice teachers, the first solo effort in the classroom is a "sink or swim" experience. With good pre-service preparation that includes extensive field experience, the beginning teacher may feel more confident, but even those with the most confidence still find the complexities of decision-making bewildering. For those novices who are less confident, frustration and depression may ultimately drive them from the classroom. In fact, nearly half of all new teachers leave teaching within the first five years. Although providing new teachers with information about curriculum design, instructional strategies, assessment techniques, classroom management, content, and professional strategies are all important components of a quality pre-service teacher education program, in this article the author argues that teacher educators need to focus more on helping novices to ask themselves the right questions as they think about teaching. She presents a structured model for preparing teachers to engage in professional discourse, either with or without a mentor. It is essential for teachers to explore elements of their teaching practice while at the same time recognizing on how those elements work together. They need a structure through which to reflect on their professional practice. (Contains 2 tables.)