Students within various geographic locations have specific knowledge, previous experiences, and ways of life. Each of these plays a critical role in how students learn and therefore, how teachers guide their instruction to meet their students' educational needs. So why are research findings typically generalized nationwide when one-size-fits-all educational policies fail to account for regional intricacies? Until thorough, comparative investigations into the classrooms of rural and urban reading teachers are performed, distinctive characteristics of effective reading teachers cannot be revealed. This article provides descriptions of the unique differences and similarities in characteristics of rural and urban reading teachers gathered from a 10-week study into four second grade classrooms. By exploring these traits, educators can improve their reading instruction so their students have maximal opportunities to develop skills and strategies necessary for reading excellence. These discoveries are relevant not only to classroom teachers, but also administrators, specialists, and parents alike. (Contains 2 figures.)