The current demand for teacher candidates to prove a positive impact on student achievement and work collaboratively in a field that is perennially in change has called for a new paradigm for teacher preparation, one that focuses on clinical field experiences, culturally responsive teaching and reflective, collaborative pedagogy. The co-teach model for student teaching offers improved student learning by allowing for differentiated approaches to instruction and establishing communication practices necessary for professional collaboration. While research has shown that the co-teach model for the student teaching internship yields improved learning for the students in the classroom, less focus has been placed on the teacher candidates' perceptions of the model for the student teaching internship. In this paper, brief historical perspectives of teacher preparation and the co-teach model of the student teaching internship are followed by teacher candidates' and administrators' perceptions of co-teaching. Finally, lessons learned and suggestions for implementation are provided. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)