This study involved five English instructors at a Hispanic-serving community college who participated in professional development workshops on culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP). Three themes emerged from analysis of the survey and interview data: (1) Integration of disciplinary identity contributes to instructors'' satisfaction with the workshops; (2) Instructors' lived experiences shape their teaching and connections with students; and (3) Instructors' self-efficacy impacts their use of CSP to meet academic goals. The results shed light on how cultural and identity factors can influence teaching and learning in higher education.