Little is known of the identities and practices of teacher educators in Pakistan. This paper aims to contribute towards redressing that situation. It draws on part of a larger scale study to explore the lives of two teacher educators in one of the largest cities in the country, discussing what influences individuals as they develop their professional identities and practices working as teacher educators in government colleges of education. Using a life history approach, the paper shows that these teacher educators see themselves as "ustadoon ka ustad" (teacher of teachers), with more professional status and influence over education than school teachers. But during their early experiences of teacher education, both individuals face challenges owing to the boundary-crossing nature of their work between school and higher education contexts. (Contains 1 figure.)