In this article we describe a teaching project that focuses on the introduction of fictional narratives as basis for critical reflection about major issues in the teaching profession. Our main aim is to help pre-service teachers to make appropriate decisions at particular moments of interaction in their classroom. From a theoretical perspective we are inspired by the cultural and narrative turn in the humanities and the social sciences. In our project pre-service teachers were invited to read "Teacher Man" by Frank McCourt, a major novel about teaching, and were asked to comment on key topics and scenes. We argue that using fictional narratives offers a unique opportunity for imaginative engagement, perhaps even empathy in the ways that theoretical textbooks do not provide.