This study addresses the need for educators who are well-prepared to meet the needs of emergent bilinguals in the context of increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in U.S. schools. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study explores the experiences of five classroom teachers in professional development (PD) related to emergent bilinguals. Six themes emerged through interviews with educators: including (a) PD promotes empathy, (b) PD as a catalyst for change, (c) importance of the PD context, (d) the content teachers want, (e) a community of practice, and (f) lack of pre-service preparation. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive and ongoing PD to better support teachers and students. School districts and policymakers must prioritize comprehensive, ongoing PD for educators to support emergent bilingual students effectively. Additional implications for teacher preparation programs, school leaders, policymakers, and future research are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]