Avid and Math teacher Jada Coakley is welcomed to Niles West High School for the new school year. Coakley just graduated from the University of Illinois, and this is her first year of teaching.

“My main goal in teaching is to create good relationships with my students, and hopefully make a positive impact on their lives as my teachers did,” Coakley said.

Compared to all of the high schools, Coakley decided to work at Niles West. She feels that staff and administration are very supportive of their teachers, and the environment is one that she wanted to join.

Math teacher Lynee Rauser is one of Coakley’s co-workers.  “I am very excited to be working alongside Ms. Coakley on the Algebra2 team this year.  [S]he has brought her positive energy and ideas, [and] during team meetings, she has shown a great deal of care and concern for her students,” Rauser said. “She is definitely fitting in well with our Niles West math department.  I’m looking forward to watching her learn and grow with us all at Niles West for years to come!”

Coakley is both a math and Avid teacher, but at first she didn’t know what Avid was. In high school, she did something similar which was called Project Excel. Her favorite teacher taught Project Excel because they always talked about things that really mattered. Towards the beginning of her career, Coakley did not want to be a math teacher. She was going to be an English teacher but switched her major in her sophomore year of college.

“I think the main reason I switched my major to math is that it is harder to connect with your students in a Math environment. A lot of times, students say they don’t enjoy math class, which I totally understand. However, I want to make math fun, change a lot of people’s perspectives and make it a likable class. I do not mind the challenge,” Coakley said.

Even though it is Coakley’s first year of teaching at West, she wants to be involved in many different things as much as possible. She wants to find her support, and be able to be a support system for her students. Coakley wants to become a better teacher and mentor.

“Ms. Coakley is very generous and understanding. She is always open to helping us and I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher,” sophomore Angie Eapen said.

Regardless of the little time Coakley has spent at West, she already loves it.

“The students are so lively, they want to be here and they care about their education. My coworkers are so welcoming, supportive, and really nice in general. It is a plus that it is a very beautiful school,” Coakley said.

Sophomore Angelica Jaime is one of Coakley’s math students and appreciates the way “[Ms. Coakley] explains things in a way that other math teachers I have and haven’t.”

Coakley also dedicates her weekends to family and friends. She goes to the movies with her family and loves shopping. Cooking is a big part of spending time with her family, and she is always up for making a good pasta.

Outside of work, Coakley’s hobbies include nature walks and reading out in nature. She doesn’t mind binge-watching TV, and she cannot get enough of true crime podcasts.

Jada Coakley cannot wait to continue with her time here at West and is happy to be here.