Before beginning my graduate studies, and drawing upon interests I developed in Spanish language and culture from living abroad in Costa Rica and Spain, I worked as a bilingual instructional aide in a second-grade classroom as well as in adult education settings serving the Mexican immigrant community in and around Sacramento, California. My postdoctoral work at the American Institutes for Research involved evaluating a statewide professional development institute for teachers of speakers of English as a second or additional language. This evaluation work brought me into California classrooms across all K-12 grade levels and subject areas to observe instruction intended to integrate content teaching with language development practices. From this experience, I developed a particular interest in science teachers’ understandings of culturally- and linguistically-responsive pedagogy.