Teaching MLs Podcast: Behind the Scenes of Colorín Colorado w/ Lydia Breiseth
In this special feature from Tan Huynh's Teaching MLs podcast, Tan interviews Lydia Breiseth, Director of Colorín Colorado, about the day-to-day behind the websites, the stories behind some of their most popular content, and what's coming next on the site. The interview also features a number of resources and anecdotes from Colorín Colorado contributors, which listeners can find below. An annotated transcript of the interview also includes links to related resources. You are welcome to include these resources in professional development and family outreach!
Listen to the podcast!
You can also see the podcast episode page on Podbean or Apple Podcasts.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Related Resources
ELL Instruction
- 10 Strategies for Building Relationships with ELLs
- Language Objectives: The Key to Effective Content Area Instruction for English Learners
- The PRESS-In Model: Turning All Students into Readers
- ELL Strategy Library
Collaboration & Professional Topics
- Co-Teaching ELLs: 8 Strategies for Success
- Collaboration Strategy for ELL Educators: Sending an Introductory Letter to Colleagues and Families
- The Substitute Teacher Shortage: Impacts on ELLs and ELL Educators
- What is an ELL educator?
- A Smile and a Rolling Suitcase: Notes from an Itinerant ESL Teacher
Family engagement
- Communicating with ELL Families: 10 Strategies for Schools
- New Freedom Park and the Immigrant Families Who Designed It
- The Importance of Emergency Contact Information
- English Language Learners in Special Education: How to Partner With Your Students' Families
Multilingual tip sheets
- Share 8 Great Reading Tips with Families (in 16 languages)
- Special Education and Your Child: FAQs for Multilingual Families
- How to Support Your Child’s Social-Emotional Health: 8 Tips for Families
Current events
- Supporting Newcomer Students: Resource Gallery
- Welcoming Afghan Families: Lessons Learned from Austin ISD
- Partnering with Ukrainian Families: Tips for Schools
- The Substitute Teacher Shortage: Impacts on ELLs and ELL Educators
Social and emotional learning
- Using a Strengths-Based Approach with ELs: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress
- "Grow As You Go": 10 Strategies for Supporting SEL for ELLs
- "Mental health comes first": A Principal Shares Her Priorities for This Year
- Supporting ELL Success with STEAM and Hands-On Learning
- Supporting Young ELLs' Success During COVID-19
Administrators
- Understanding Our School Community: A Principal Shares His Approach to Student Success
- The PRESS-In Model: Turning All Students into Readers
- An "Amazing Race": Building Community at Minnieville Elementary School
- Hiring Your School’s First ELL Teacher: 10 Tips for School Leaders
- How School Leaders New to Working with ELLs Can Partner with Families: 10 Strategies for Success
Special Projects
- Reading 101 for Families: A Bilingual Guide
- Colorín Colorado BookFinder
- Best of 2023: New Resources from Colorín Colorado
Books
- Building Parent Engagement in Schools
- Transforming Schools for English Learners: A Comprehensive Framework for School Leaders
- Evaluating ALL Teachers of English Learners and Students With Disabilities
- Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators
- Black Immigrants in the United States: Essays on the Politics of Race, Language, and Voice
- And Justice for ELs
Videos Projects
Featured schools and districts
You Are Welcome Here: Support for Immigrant Students in Dearborn, Michigan
You Are Welcome Here (#DearbornWelcome) is an award-winning 20-minute film from Colorín Colorado highlighting how the Dearborn, MI public school district is helping its immigrant students succeed. The film features Salina Elementary School and Salina Intermediate School in the South End of Dearborn which serve large populations of families from Yemen. Extended interviews are available along with other videos and related resources.
Partnering with Multilingual Families in Brockton, MA
Learn how the public schools in Brockton, MA support partnerships with multilingual families and the impact those partnerships are having.
Making Dual-Language Immersion Work in Arlington, VA
This video provides an introduction to Claremont Immersion School's dual language model and shows how teachers collaborate to provide instruction across two languages.
Best Practices for Evaluating ELL Educators
In this special Colorín Colorado video project, learn how the educators of English language learners (ELLs) and their students benefit when evaluators are familiar with best practices for ELLs. A discussion guide and related resources are also included.
Educator voices
Advice for New Teachers of ELLs: Tips from ELL Experts
This collection of videos highlights advice from educators and administrators who have extensive experience working with English language learners (ELLs).
Family Engagement
Being Bilingual Is a SuperPower: Animated Video 8 Languages
These animated videos, available in 8 languages, offer ideas on how families can support their child's literacy through activities that celebrate language, culture, and special time together at home!
This project features the artwork of award-winning illustrator Rafael López.
Family Literacy Tips for All Families: Video Series in English and Spanish
All families can help their children become readers! These videos offer practical tips for all families on how to support reading at home. These videos are available in English and Spanish and feature early literacy expert Bernadette Pilar Zermeño.
Indigenous Family Outreach: Videos in English, Spanish, and Mam
In this special video series, Henry Sales, an Indigenous Mam educator who was born in Guatemala, encourages other Mam and Indigenous families from Latin America to keep their culture and language strong. The videos are available in English, Spanish, and Mam.
Colorín Colorado on the Go!
Colorín on the Go is a new web app from Colorín Colorado for teachers of English language learners (ELLs)! It offers more than 100 practical, shareable strategies featuring our most popular content across topics such as:
- ideas for new teachers of ELLs
- ELL instruction
- family engagement
- social and emotional support
You can get to Colorín on the Go by visiting go.colorincolorado.org from any device or using this QR code:
About Colorín Colorado
Colorín Colorado is a free, bilingual (English/Spanish) website that provides research-based information, activities, and advice for the families and educators of English language learners (ELLs). Colorín Colorado is based at Washington DC’s leading public broadcasting station, WETA, and receives support from founding partner the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.
Our sister sites
To see new resources as soon as they come out from Colorín Colorado, check out our social media channels on: