Preparing Cherokee Language Teachers: Lessons Learned From an Innovative Licensure Program.

This article focuses on the experiences of a Cherokee language teacher completing a graduate-level initial licensure program designed primarily for modern world language teachers, examining its suitability for preparing teachers of the endangered Cherokee language. Findings highlight unique challenges such as limited Cherokee language instructional materials, lack of formal proficiency assessments, and difficulties meeting the 90% target language use standard due to teacher proficiency and language complexity. The teacher candidate valued the program's emphasis on lesson planning and high-leverage teaching practices but noted the need for greater Indigenous community involvement, cohort models for peer support, and adaptations to admission requirements to better serve Indigenous language teachers. The study underscores the importance of collaboration between teacher preparation programs and Indigenous communities to enhance language revitalization efforts and calls for further research on diverse candidate experiences and program models.