This study explored the concerns of a group of student teachers during a period of school placement for teaching practice. Nine main areas of concern were identified. These were: not being regarded as a real teacher; dealing with disruptive behaviour; becoming a disciplinarian; getting the teaching right; getting the planning right; teaching about sensitive issues; coping with a heavy workload; having too little preparatory teaching practice; and being assessed. In addition, three main categories of accomplishments were identified. These were: taking responsibility; developing confidence; and creating an orderly classroom. The paper also considers the implications of these findings for improving the quality of initial teacher education.