This teaching case was written by "Neil," a student teacher who tried to teach brilliantly, who put himself to the test, and concluded he failed. Neil uprooted his family to move to Alaska to reenter school in order to obtain a teaching certificate. He also wanted to escape the fast-paced life of California and a stagnant job. Neil believed teaching would allow him to spend more time with his family, to pursue personal interests, and enable him to be creative. Neil's student teaching experience at the Vonnegut Bay School in rural Alaska did not meet these expectations. First, the same social and economic problems he had encountered in California were also prevalent in rural Alaska. Secondly, his experience as a teacher was not what he expected. Neil confronted conflicts between sports and academics and issues of teacher responsibilities besides instruction. He was overwhelmed by trying to meet the needs and expectations of students, other teachers, his family, and himself. Near the end of his student teaching experience he lost his enthusiasm and resigned himself to the fact that he could not meet his expectations for a career in teaching. Although Neil viewed himself as a failure, his cooperating teacher saw him as an asset to the classroom. This story was selected as a case study for teacher education, not because it is typical of what happens to student teachers, but because it portrays problems of teaching that students will benefit from reflecting upon. Discussion questions for this particular teaching case are included. (LP)