This study explores how entering female preservice teachers position themselves-the plotlines, obligations, responsibilities and duties they are prepared to enact, the expectations they hold for students, and the implications these have for teacher education. Using positioning theory, the authors analyze application letters of 20 elementary preservice teachers to uncover metaphor plotlines for teaching. Preservice teachers' application letters contained 12 metaphor plotlines presented here in terms of the definition, the role of teacher and the role of student. The paper explores implications for the content of teacher education, development as a teacher, and the ability to engage students. (Contains 1 table.)