The first year of teaching is often the hardest for most beginners as knowledge and skills gained from teacher preparation meet real world challenges. This article follows two teachers into their first year and describes how they adapt and align what they know about reading best practices to their local situations. Two all-too-common challenges are explored: filling curriculum gaps and ensuring systematic instruction of essential skills. The pair find that collaboration with their mentor teachers and their own preparation help them to creatively meet the challenges they face. They demonstrate that there is no substitute for strong teacher preparation that develops the knowledge and skills beginners need for classroom success.