This postmodern ethnographic study of teacher conceptualization of teaching expanded the findings of other research regarding the disconnect between teacher preparation programs and classroom teaching by exploring how personal and professional knowledge and identities are synthesized for 10 in-service teachers. Teachers in the study filtered educational ideas through a foundational process that emphasized relational aspects of teaching. Two major influences on teacher conceptualizations included biographical experiences and the exploration of self as teacher, including developing perspectives of what it means to be a student. This investigation revealed that teachers, even when responding to a school's educational philosophy, still conceptualized teaching through their own personal experiences. Experiential and reflective learning are encouraged for teacher development.