Set in a graduate-level multicultural literacy course, this qualitative study draws on Bakhtin's theories of ideological becoming and a hybrid of critical discourse analysis (CDA) methods (Gee, 1996; Fairclough, 1995; 2003) to explore the complexities of learning to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students. We investigated how eight beginning teachers' ideologies were constructed and reconstructed by closely examining the struggles and tensions teachers expressed in one multicultural literacy course. This research adds to the literature about how beginning teachers might better address cultural and linguistic diversity in literacy instruction. The study also describes the types of activities that can facilitate the development of teachers who are interested and committed to working with culturally and linguistically diverse students. (Contains 3 tables.)