We conducted a self-study to learn more about how to support the first author's pre-service teachers (PSTs) during their field experiences in an introductory secondary mathematics methods course. The findings highlight how the PSTs' perceptions of the secondary students' mathematics ability was closely related to how they viewed the students' levels of engagement and interest. The data also indicated that PSTs often diminished the role that the cooperating teachers played in co-constructing student ability, motivation and engagement, particularly in situations where the students displayed unfavorable behaviors. The findings inform curricular development for methods courses and field experiences, both for the authors and for the mathematics educators who support PSTs in diverse school settings. [For the complete proceedings, see ED583608.]