Roger Bybee’s inquiry-based 5E Learning Cycle (5E), where students engage in scientific practices, is considered best practice for elementary science classrooms. Each E stands for a different portion of the lesson and includes engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. Research of 5E mastery was conducted during a capstone methods course one semester prior to student teaching. The researcher, a teacher educator, examined her own instructional practices to improve teacher candidates’ mastery of the strategy. A pre-/posttest with classroom scenarios measured mastery of 5E, and the instructor used specific interventions to teach 5E concepts. Teacher candidate participants’ posttests indicated improvement, but they need more practice with the strategy. A plan of action for future interventions and future research is shared.