This paper explores Megan's -- a preservice teacher's -- learning around teaching literacy while enrolled in a social justice-oriented teacher education program and student teaching in poverty-impacted schools. Megan had fewer opportunities to teach literacy in university-promoted ways when student teaching with an attentive cooperating teacher (CT) she revered than when apprenticing with a negligent CT she did not respect. However, Megan's personal opinions about her CTs influenced her reflections, as she reported predominantly positive learnings from her placement with her adored CT and predominantly negative learnings from her placement with her disdained CT. Implications for teacher educator mediation are addressed.