Meet Colleen Rouse-Ruttan
Teaching Position
Teacher of Multilingual Learners K-5Â
District
Oxford Community Schools
Inspired by a love of languages, culture, and connecting with students, Colleen transitioned from 15 years as a high school testing coordinator into teaching multilingual learners. Now supporting K–5 students at Oxford Community Schools, she brings joy to literacy instruction while helping students build confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.
What was your role before joining Talent Together, and what inspired you to join the program?
Before joining Talent Together, I was a high school testing coordinator for 15 years at, and I subbed when my schedule allowed it. I loved getting to know the students, but I sometimes missed working with younger kids. I learned that there is a shortage of teachers of multilingual learners, and I thought that would be a good match. I love learning about other cultures and learning other languages. In fact, I taught English in South Korea and led an English conversation group during my junior year in Germany. I thought that I might be able to inspire students by connecting with them through our learning journey and experiences.
What grade level and subject are you teaching?
I am now certified to teach K–12, but this year I am working exclusively at the K–5 level at Oxford Community Schools. My district is working on a goal of improving collaboration with classroom teachers, so I support 18 students in 9 classrooms. Three of those students receive designated English Language Development support, as well. Multilingual learners are supported across the curriculum, so on any given day, I could be supporting science, social studies, or math, in addition to having an English Language Arts focus.
What are some of your favorite instructional activities or routines you’ve been using?
I love leading read-alouds in my first and second grade classes. The students are so excited to learn! I hope that we are sparking joy together in order to help develop a lifelong love of reading. This gives me a chance to introduce vocabulary, guide students’ reflections, build empathy with others, and raise global awareness.
Are there any strategies, tools, or practices from your coursework or Apprenticeship that you’ve carried into your own classroom?
In my teaching, I use the strategies, tools, and practices that I learned in my coursework and Apprenticeship. A lot of my students’ learning is about organizing their thoughts, so we do a lot of work using graphic organizers, mentor texts, sentence starters, charts, and word sorts. I always try to give them time to think about what they are learning or creating, then have them share with a partner or group before writing or sharing with the whole classroom. This deepens engagement and gives them a chance to practice what they want to say, gain confidence, and consider others’ ideas. My current goal is to develop my skills using AI to make things more efficient, creative, and fun.