Examining the Experiences of Teachers of Multilingual Learners in Rural Schools: Implications for Policy and Practice

ABSTRACT Many rural teachers with small populations of students who are learning English lack resources, educational background, and experience in pedagogies of language development, and schools and districts often struggle to provide the necessary supports for a small percentage of students when budgets are already stretched thin. The qualitative research presented in this paper stems from interviews with teachers in these districts to examine how they provide for students who are learning English (ELs). Results indicate many rural teachers in these districts took it upon themselves to become certified to work with ELs, finding the necessary resources on their own. However, challenges were still recognized, particularly a disconnect between official policy and curricula and the actual needs of students. Teachers in the study mostly remained hopeful that despite challenges they would still be able to build on their strengths to provide an equitable education for all their students.