Pre-service music teachers navigate multiple responsibilities as they develop musicianship, learn pedagogical tools for the classroom, and begin thinking like teachers. They exercise agency in making instructional decisions informed by knowledge, skills, and values gained through their experience as students in public schools. This case study examined the teacher agency and accompanying values of three pre-service music teachers in a peer teaching experience who, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had no prior teaching experience. Two themes emerged from the analysis: shifting identity and survival. Participants shifted between student and teacher role identities. Conflicting role identities limited their teacher agency, preventing them from fully engaging in the peer teaching experience. Survival concerns, such as pedagogical knowledge, prevented participants from reflectively implementing their values. Peer teaching experience may initially need more structure to build confidence and foster agency. Pre-service music teachers also need time for targeted reflection to connect their actions to their values.
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