This study was designed to investigate the characteristics and motivations of students entering teacher training by examining the relationship between selected student characteristics and the influences or reasons given for choosing to become a teacher. The sample of 266 students beginning an introduction to education course was found to be predominantly female (80 percent) and white, from larger families (70 percent with two or more siblings), first generation college graduates (60 percent), from smaller communities (87 percent) and families of educators (50 percent), and as being influenced in their decision to teach by liking children (85 percent), by former teachers (63 percent), and by experiences with children (59 percent). Reasons given for choosing to teach were found to be related to: gender, teaching specialty, mother's education and occupation, birth order, and the earliness of and level of assurance about their decision to teach; but the reasons given were not related to students' level of aptitude or basic academic skills, number of siblings, type of high school attended, amount of teaching-like experience, or anticipated success as a teacher. Conclusions with implications for prospective teacher recruiting, selection, and retention are enumerated. (Author)