This dialogic analysis, on the professional identities of five public preschool teachers from a major metropolitan school district in the United States, examines the dialogic space of participants in a context where discourses of play-based pedagogies and academic readiness were in competition. In discussing the pedagogical tensions that ensued for these preschool teachers, we explore how each engaged in dialogue with official discourses that best aligned with their values and beliefs as informed by their personal histories. The findings, part of a larger narrative inquiry focused on life histories and teacher practice, demonstrate the importance of understanding the connection between personal histories, competing discourses within personal narratives and teaching practice as each relates to teachers' construction of their professional identities and the role of play in their work.