Allyson Nusser is an independent literacy consultant specializing in teaching reading and writing workshop at the upper elementary and middle school level. Allyson started her teaching career as a Teach for America Corps Member in Compton, CA, where she taught fourth grade. After moving back to the New York area, she taught literacy at a Brooklyn middle school for the New York City Department of Education in Region 8. As a middle school teacher, Allyson served as a teacher leader. Her classroom was a "model" classroom for citywide inter-visitations focusing on demonstrating balanced literacy to upper elementary and middle school educators in other regions throughout the city. Allyson helped design citywide classroom libraries for the mayor's initiative, and facilitated curricular development and backwards planning among literacy teachers at her school. Allyson went on to become a literacy coach for another NYCDOE middle school. In addition to demonstrating lessons and strategies in teachers' classrooms across the grades, she led department meetings and helped teachers write and modify curricular maps to suit the needs of their students. Allyson provided staff development to literacy teachers focusing on establishing routines for launching reading and writing workshop, planning mini-lessons, conferences and assessing student progress. Allyson has led various workshops and institutes focusing on reading and writing workshop for upper elementary and middle school teachers.