Vocational identity development is salient during transitional periods, such student teaching. Positive experiences during transitions may contribute to well-being and career success (Grosemans et al., 2020). Because early career teachers may have unique challenges regarding vocational identity development (Dugas, 2017), appropriate support and guidance during student teaching is essential. Student teaching seminars can be beneficial opportunities for students navigating this transition. In music teacher preparation programs, a student teaching seminar may take the form of group meetings in which instructors and students discuss topics including lesson planning, classroom management, and job searching (Baumgartner & Councill, 2017). Researchers have found that student teachers appreciate peer discussions about issues and challenges and reflecting on their experiences (Baumgartner & Councill, 2019). Because preservice music educators’ concerns may change throughout their student teaching experience (Regier, 2021), student teaching seminars, occurring in tandem with student teaching, can be ideal environments to process these emotional and cognitive shifts. Serving as a bridge between the student and the teacher experiences, student teaching seminar design is an important area of focus for music teacher educators.Reflection is a key component of effective teaching, learning, and personal growth. Reflective practices can help student teachers become aware of underlying beliefs and emotions, which is important to vocational identity development (Lee et al., 2020). Writing activities, such as free writing, can be a meaningful approach to reflection. Despite its origins as a process for creative writing (Brande, 1934), scholars and educators have long supported it as a beneficial process for academic writing (Elbow, 1973), as well as sound pedagogical practice for undergraduate students (Boutet et al., 2017) and student teachers (Spilkova, 2001).The purpose of this proposed presentation is to share the process and outcomes of centering reflective practices in a student teaching seminar for preservice music educators. We began each seminar meeting with a free writing exercise related to the seminar topic, followed by a group discussion about themes that emerged during the writing exercise. As facilitators of the seminar, we also engaged in the activity and found it to be an enlightening experience for our own transition from music teachers to music teacher educators. The student teachers in the course expressed appreciation for reflective practices, noting that they built connection and community These insights will benefit music teacher educators wishing to promote deeper reflective practices in their students, and early career music teacher educators working to develop their own identities.