In the proposed work, studies of supporting rural teachers were analysed and the main directions of professional self-development of a village teacher were identified. The program aims to assist village teachers in professional self-development. A program to support the self-development of rural teachers was proposed, which was experimentally tested on 246 teachers in primary and secondary schools in Hebei and Shandong provinces (China). The results of the application of the program were determined using a survey to identify the development of various components of the professional development of teachers themselves. The objective results of an increase in the academic success of students were also checked. These data show the effectiveness of the program we have developed in improving all components of the professional development of teachers and the possibility of its application to a large audience of teachers in rural areas. The practical significance of this work is the possibility of applying the proposed system of support for the self-development of teachers. The practical application of the study is to further develop and actualize the issue of the connection between the academic and professional performance of students in schools and the level of creative thinking of teachers in rural areas.