In this paper, the author asks the reader to imagine the format of a new reality show: "American Teacher," which would feature preserves college students competing for a chance at a lucrative teaching contract, albeit far less than a million dollars. Each week, viewers would vote the contestants out of the classroom instead of off the island. Student teachers not only need to demonstrate content knowledge and classroom management skills each episode, but the best candidates will ooze character, morality, compassion, and they would not get caught gossiping in the teachers' lounge. In summary, one would look for those intangible human qualities that make stellar teachers stand out from the rest. Although this scenario of "American Teacher" is far fetched, the point of this article is to address the growing concern about the chasm between student teachers' preparation to teach versus their suitability to teach. (Contains 3 notes.)