This study is one of a set designed to investigate how preservice teachers' understanding of mathematics and views of teaching are affected by working with children. In the study, two preservice secondary school teachers tutored an eleventh grade student over a period of two sessions. The student teachers were surprised that the student was not considering fractions as involving equal areas, and they spent 45 minutes unsuccessfully attempting to induce disequilibrium in the student. The author viewed the videotape with the student teachers, during which time it became clear that the student teachers were struggling with the notion that teaching means not telling students anything. Implications of this view are discussed. (Author)