In this study, 12 preservice teachers in a community college English as a second language (ESL) K–12 teacher education program drew pictures and wrote descriptions of teachers teaching English language learners (ELLs) at the beginning and end of an ESL methods course. Using content analysis, the researcher analyzed the drawings and descriptions with respect to the role of the teacher, the role of the students, the teaching strategies shown, the instructional content, and how the drawings changed over the semester. Preservice teachers depicted more and varied teaching strategies in end‐of‐course drawings, but overall findings showed that preservice teachers viewed teaching ELLs as a teacher implementing direct instruction in basic literacy to passive students at both the beginning and end of the course. The article discusses the importance of impacting preservice teacher beliefs through teacher education and explores the benefits and limits of using drawings for this purpose.