This study analyzes the ways in which practitioner inquiry engages graduate student educators in understanding how to navigate the complexities and contingencies of teaching. By examining the challenges graduate student teachers faced while conducting practitioner inquiry, as well as the categories of teacher knowledge they developed in the process, this article demonstrates that the primary value of novice practitioner inquiry is in the cultivation of educators who can approach their practice with deeper analysis, self-awareness, and sophistication. By learning to adopt an inquiry stance and translate their research into action, they can elevate the quality of their own teaching. As they become more seasoned, and if a culture and scaffold can be created to advance and support their inquiry, teachers have the potential to enrich best practices in the field by sharing their research-generated perspectives with colleagues.