This qualitative study followed two graduates from a master of arts in the teaching of languages program, who had taught for at least 3 years, into their domain of work in public school teaching. The study was carried out to better understand the day-to-day work, challenges, and social and interactive contexts in which language teachers engage. It is of particular significance and relevance to teaching in today's language classroom and to teacher education programs as it examines and questions one of the most critical issues for classroom teachers: classroom management and student behavior, and in this case, in an economically disadvantaged and a high achieving school. The researcher must confront and reframe communicative language teaching as she sees it carried out and lived in these classrooms. In analyzing and interpreting classroom events and interactions, the researcher relied on literature in classroom management, classroom discourse, and teaching diverse populations and the economically disadvantaged. For teacher educators it seems critical to better understand both the local and social realities of secondary language classrooms so that teacher education programs may more broadly serve their prospective teachers' needs and the communities in which they will live and teach.