Discourse analysts are concerned with how language both reflects and constructs the social world. As a field of study, there are scores of books, journals, and conferences devoted to the theoretical and methodological issues among the varieties of discourse analysis. Less discussed in the field of discourse studies is how one learns to become a discourse analyst. This question is the subject of the current article that reports on a study of my teaching and my students' learning within the scope of a one-semester graduate discourse analysis course. In this study, I set out to describe, interpret, and explain the discursive patterns used by students through out the course. Their learning was most profound in three areas that I expand on in this article: "exploring theories of meaning making," "using tools to locate patterns," and "making micro-macro- connections." Learning unfolded differently for students in each area, depending on their background, area of study, and experience with discourse analysis. I argue that becoming more aware of the sorts of issues and complexities that arise as people become discourse analysts can aid in the process of supporting their learning as well as keep the field fresh with insights. (Contains 2 tables and 2 footnotes.)