Quantitative achievement data reveals persistent under achievement in the area of writing for ELL students. To address this problem, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the experiences of teachers who teach writing to ELL students. Three classrooms in a suburban school were chosen to investigate. Participants taught (grades 5, 7, and 9) writing to ELL students who were native Spanish speakers. The research questions that guided the study were: (1) what are ELL teacher’s instructional practices in the classroom; (2) what instructional and institutional resources are being utilized by ELL teachers; and (3) what barriers exist to teaching native Spanish speaking students to write in English? Data collection consisted of interviews, observations, and artifacts used for writing instruction. The results of the study revealed the complexity of the ELL teacher’s role in the classroom—a role that extends far beyond classroom instruction only. ELL teachers must know their learner well, advocate for their students, be a cultural liaison, and at times play a parental role. Besides daily instruction, the ELL teacher is responsible for modifying and creating curriculum that can be understood by their students, educating content teachers on the needs of ELL students, and negotiating perceptions of institutional racism as they advocate for ELL students. The study concludes with recommendations for educational leaders and policymakers to ensure success of ELL students in writing instruction.