This paper examines ‘best practices’ in early childhood teacher education by assessing perspectives of early childhood teacher candidates as they progress through a rigorous certification program to meet the changing requirements for early educational providers. We will examine potential discrepancies between the generally accepted best practices in early childhood education, the beliefs of teacher candidates, and the current state of early childhood programs. Lastly, we will explore first year pre-K teacher’s evolving ability to become reflective practitioners by using classroom experiences and content from their coursework to guide and develop their efficacy beliefs and ability to identify sources of support in their own classrooms.