This qualitative study reports on what was learned from two former teacher candidates, who engaged inself-affirmation writing exercises in an education seminar during their final semester in a teachereducation program. Self-affirmations, as presented here, are brief psychological interventions designed toenhance the self-integrity of teacher education candidates, so they can persist and overcome challengesand demands encountered during their field placement teaching assignments. The research questionsguiding this inquiry are: a) to what degree do self-affirmations minimize stereotype threat among teachercandidates; b) in what ways do self-affirmations help candidates remain optimistic in their roles as teachercandidates; and c) how can candidates apply self-affirmation writing with their own secondary students?A central finding from this case study is that self-affirmation writing sustained the teacher candidatesthrough the challenges they encountered during their field experience teaching. The research participantsdescribe how self-affirmations helps them focus on their own positive inner voice, or whispering self, thatencourages self-acceptance and a belief that they are good persons who care for themselves and others.Additionally, candidates apply, or envision how they might apply self-affirmation writing exercises intheir own middle and high school classrooms.