A persistent issue in teacher education is how to effectively prepare preservice teachers to work with an increasingly diverse student population. This study reports on what happened when preservice teachers learned to become culturally responsive educators through an action research seminar focused on working with English Language Learners (ELLs). This qualitative study examined the role a carefully constructed action research curriculum played in preservice teachers' understanding of the complex needs of ELLs and what it means to be culturally responsive educators. Findings suggest that an action research curriculum focused specifically on culturally relevant pedagogy can positively impact preservice teachers' understanding of the complex needs of English Language Learners. One major implication is the need to scaffold attention to English Language Learners in the action research curriculum in order to usher preservice teachers into productive areas of inquiry for supporting ELLs in their classrooms.