Mathematics educators advocate for the use of models as an instructional practice that can potentially aid in building students' understanding of difficult topics. Integers and integer operations are historically problematic for students and are critically important in both arithmetic and the future study of algebra. In this chapter, I explore one particular model for working with integers, a discrete model using colored chips. By doing so, I illustrate a tension that arises when deciding how to present a model during instruction and examine key questions about the use of models in mathematics teaching. How should mathematics teachers build connections between students' informal understandings of mathematical content and formal mathematics? In what ways can teachers encourage students to use a model in ways that make sense while challenging the utility of the model for related problems? [For the complete volume, "Exploring the Integer Addition and Subtraction Landscape: Perspectives on Integer Thinking. Research in Mathematics Education," see ED612853.]