Each day as a coach is different, and that’s why Coley loves her work! One day she’s modeling grammar small groups in a fifth grade classroom, the next she’s leading a think tank around research-based assessment practices. She supports administrators and coaches and works with teams of science and social studies teachers and hosts workshops on AI.

To bring her work to life, Coley combines research-based literacy practices alongside Adult Learning Theory, both of which she studied as a graduate student at Teachers College.

Coley prioritizes collaborative coaching and teacher agency, believing teachers thrive when they take ownership over the curriculum and make data-based instructional choices. Her goal is to bring passion and practicality to professional learning.

Her coaching journey started at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) where she developed curriculum, led institutes, and partnered with dozens of school districts. Before taking on her role as a Staff Developer, Coley was a secondary English Language Arts teacher and a Rutgers University Writing Program Instructor. Her experiences as a teacher, and as a writer, led her to believe deeply in process-based writing instruction and student agency. Her experiences range from honors and AP courses to special education and inclusion classes. In her time as a teacher she created a student-run writing center, developed a curriculum for Literature and Social Justice course, and coached social studies and science teachers around best literacy practices.