In this article about her early career development and the experiences that shaped her life as a scholar and researcher, the author describes the work lives of university-based teacher educators and what it means to compose a research life in this field. This article draws on the author's 30 years as a university-based teacher educator. In it, she reflects on some of her early (and later) experiences, focusing in particular on those that most shaped her work as a scholar and writer who was also, and always, simultaneously a practitioner. The article features five lessons learned about the author's composing of a research life in teacher education: locating/positioning oneself; nurturing long-term partnerships; holding on to practitioner perspectives; collaborating across multiple fields, methods, paradigms, and cultures; and, working on what one believes in and cares about. The article concludes with some advice addressed directly to emerging scholars in the field of teacher education. (Contains 1 footnote.)