The intent of the study discussed in this paper was to document and describe discrepancies between the content of university course work and practices observed in the schools and to examine the thinking and decision making of preservice teachers faced with dilemmas created by the discrepancies. Two fifth year programs that integrated course work with clinical experiences provided the context. Subjects (N=71) were 41 secondary (29 from Portland State University, 12 from Pacific University and 20 elementary level students placed in a variety of field experiences. Data were collected through journals, class discussions, and interviews with cooperating teachers, school administrators, and university faculty. The data were then categorized into areas of most frequent discrepancy: planning, assessment, classroom management, practice, grouping strategies, and teaching models. Findings indicated that students were willing to abandon what they had learned at the university in order to align themselves with the school. Some students reported using instructional practices selectively, based on who was observing the lesson. Discrepancies between university course work and practice in the schools offers an opportunity for collaboration between the university and the school district thus enabling students to work through their dilemmas with the support of a collaborative team. (LL)