Taking the form of a personal essay, the author describes developments within teacher education in the USA over a 40-year period, since the founding of "JET." Beginning with his work within teacher education as a graduate student and moving across time, he describes major movements in teacher education, discusses several of the most influential ideas within the field and, by drawing on publications of the period, notes the influence of certain political and education figures. In many respects, the tale is one of the politicialisation of education and teacher education, the rise of neoliberalism, and the loss of teacher educator control of programmes and programme content and, in some respects, the undermining of educational quality. Yet, it is also a story of remarkable moments of innovation and of the consistent dedication of educators to the cause of better education.