'When I see them - I think it's me:' multilingual teaching staff's agency enactment in a linguistically and culturally diverse classroom

PurposeThis study aimed to explore why and how the teachers' personal funds of knowledge and identity are connected to their classroom beliefs, knowledge, and practices.Design/methodology/approachThe study lasted one academic year (October 2021 - July 2022). We used multiple data sources, including semi-structured individual interviews and focused group discussions with the teaching staff, monthly classroom observations, a teacher's reflective journal, and documents. By applying the thematic analysis, we identified the following three themes: (1) Teachers' personal life experience as a basis for their language education policy; (2) Collective agency in enacting language education policy, and (3) Teachers as models of their funds of knowledge and identity.FindingsWe found that the teachers, as a collective, implemented linguistically and culturally responsive teaching on the concrete and symbolic levels. Their personal immigration history was a motivating force for establishing language education policy while working with immigrant children.Originality/valueThe significance of this study is in its provision of insights into the role of the life experience of multilingual, multicultural teaching staff in shaping language education policy. In addition, the study highlights a significant role of teachers as collective agents who model their funds of knowledge and identity and by doing so, empower young children.