The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of prospective teachers’ first contact with the teaching profession during their practising school attachments. The participants of the study were 101 prospective secondary school teachers at Dicle University in Turkey. The data were collected by using both questionnaire and interview research tools. The frequency, percentage, average and factor analysis techniques have been used for the analysis of quantitative data. The findings revealed that the main problems faced by prospective teachers are students’ unwanted behaviours, difficulties in class management, and being treated indifferently by the school administrators and mentors. This situation affects the approaches and motivations of the prospective teachers, and increases the tendency to prefer another occupation than teaching after such practicing period. The prospective teachers believed that university teacher education courses are too theoretical and disconnected from the real world of the classrooms. The findings also show that the tutors, mentors, coordinators and school administrators need training for a healthy cooperation and better teacher education.