The original study upon which this article is based began with a seemingly simple question that had origins in the author's own experiences as a high school teacher. Why do some teachers talk too much when they are teaching, and what can a teacher education program do to address this problem? When informed, then transformed, by available research in the area, the question becomes more accurate and useful for teachers and teachers educators. How can a teacher education program enable teacher candidates to encourage greater student participation and interaction in their classrooms? This article attempts to answer these questions by reporting the results of both a comprehensive literature review and a case study of six teacher candidates in one course of a teacher certification program. The study compares what the candidates say and believe about students' participation and interaction to their own actual participation and interaction in a teacher education classroom, resulting in provocative and intriguing implications for teacher education programs.