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This paper summarizes themes of rural teaching and rural students’ experiences of initial teacher education programs based on focus group data of 25 Canadian northern rural and Indigenous teachers and early childhood educators. Inductive analyses of focus group data identified themes related to living and teaching in northern rural communities. A strong sense of togetherness and support, coupled with inconsistent/limited access to material and human resources, were highlighted in participants’ experiences as teachers and as members of their Indigenous and rural communities. Additionally, participants talked about the expectation that their role extended beyond the classroom to reciprocate with support for their community. Themes arising from participants’ initial teacher education experiences suggest a need for greater attention to the significant lifestyle adjustments and identity transformations that rural students must make when moving from their communities to urban centres to complete their teacher/early childhood educator preparation.

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