In this essay, the authors argue that only by sharing their mistakes and uncertainty can they fully reflect on their own process as teachers, only by understanding their process can they begin to identify the many factors that contribute to classroom messes in the first place, and only by acknowledging the perpetual messiness of their practice can they fully engage in the scholarship of teaching and learning. In their narratives, the authors gloss over their teaching messes, mentioning them in passing rather than fully representing them. They eschew the unexpected, messy, and slippery process through which their classes unfold in favor of clean solutions, well-designed lessons, and so-called "best practices." (Contains 4 notes.)