15 Times Ava Coleman Was the Best Part of ‘Abbott Elementary’

Abbott Elementary is a sitcom set in a Philadelphia elementary school that has captured the hearts of avid TV viewers. It’s become so beloved that it was renewed for a Season 5 before Season 4 finished airing. 

One of the best parts of the show is how character-driven it is. Principal Ava Coleman, played by comedian Janelle James, arguably shines among the ensemble cast.

While she’s most notable for her iconic one-liners and ridiculously extravagant lifestyle, Ava has a soft interior that she occasionally shows to her co-workers. When the chips are down, she wants what’s best for Abbott (even if she primarily benefits from it herself). 

Here are 15 times Ava Coleman was the best part of Abbott Elementary, in no particular order:

1. Falling Out of a Chair

If anybody can make a scene, it’s Ava. On Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 8, “Work Family,” Janine tries to connect with the other teachers more by getting to know them better.

To the shock of her co-workers, she shares that she’s been dating the same person since 8th grade. While everybody else stares at her in disbelief, Ava asks for a chair. As soon as she sits down, she literally falls out of it laughing. 

While slightly mean-spirited, it is undeniably a hilariously exaggerated reaction to Janine’s statement. Fans often cite this little moment as a perfect representation of Ava’s character.

She’s never afraid to outwardly express how she’s feeling, even if it’s in the context of her surface-level disdain for Janine earlier in the series.  

2. Being Impressed by Jacob’s Magic

Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 21, “Mom,” opens with Jacob showing off his skills with magic tricks. While one would assume Ava would find this lame, she’s pretty impressed by Jacob’s magical abilities. 

She even calls Melissa into the library to watch him perform tricks. While Melissa is less than impressed, Ava exclaims with joy when he reveals the card trick that he pulled on Melissa worked. 

This moment reveals that Ava is much more whimsical than she likes to admit. She usually tries to pretend that she’s cool and aloof. But the joy she has when she sees Jacob perform his tricks shows she’s just as easily impressed as the students at Abbott by a little bit of magic.

3. Looking out for Students

One of the first moments Ava shows how much she truly shines as a principal is on Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 12, “Ava vs. Superintendent.” Unfortunately, Ava’s presentation doesn’t go as well as expected, and the superintendent begins questioning if Abbott truly deserves more funding. 

In response, Ava speaks passionately about everything she does for her students, including providing uniforms for students who can’t afford them or offering lotion to fight off “ashy ankles.” She concludes her argument with the logic that she gets creative with the money Abbott gets to support the students. 

She truly shines during this speech, finally admitting how much her job means to her. Ultimately, no matter how she might waste money on extravagant goods like a banner with her face on it, Ava will always take providing for the students seriously. 

4. Spitting Out Her Drink

Ava continues to prove she’s the queen of physical comedy on Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 10, “Holiday Hookah.” While at the club, she spots Janine and Gregory dancing together. 

She tells the bartender, “Pour me something cheap so I can spit it out.” The bartender obliges, and true to her word, Ava spits out her drink to indicate how surprised she is to see her co-workers getting cozy at a club she frequents. 

Much like her moment falling out of the chair, Ava’s physical comedy is always a way to get a guaranteed laugh. It’s so over-the-top, but it also makes complete sense in the context of the situation. Again, Ava demonstrates she isn’t afraid to go to great lengths to express herself. 

5. DJing Open House

On Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 10, “Open House,” Ava shows off her fun side. During the open house, Ava decides that as the principal, it is her duty to DJ. 

What she doesn’t know is that no parents actually show up to the event. So, she ends up DJing her favorite tunes for a bunch of staff members in the library. Regardless, she has a great time in her short stint as a DJ. 

Although it’s unfortunate that nobody came to the open house except for the people who work at Abbott, Ava still had a great time regardless. This shows that she doesn’t need other people around to enjoy herself as long as she’s doing something she cares about. 

6. Leading the Step Class

Ava lets her leadership skills shine on Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 9, “Step Class.” Upon seeing the flyers for afterschool step classes, Ava offers to help Janine with the program because she used to do step in college.

Janine is hesitant at first because she doesn’t believe Ava can handle the responsibility. She even fights back against Ava when the principal proposes a new routine that the kids want to do. 

Eventually, she realizes Ava is correct in suggesting they change the routine and apologizes. Janine realizes that Ava wants what’s best for the kids and can take on the responsibility when she wants to. 

7. Taking Care of Her Grandma

Things take a turn for the worst later on during Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 9, “Step Class,” when Ava leaves right before the step dance show. Janine is left to handle the logistics and becomes angry at Ava for betraying her trust after earning it. 

Then, Ava explains that she had to leave because her grandmother had an episode and needed her there for support. She reveals that her grandmother has been staying over at her place until she recently found a place that could take care of her full-time. 

Once again, Janine has misjudged Ava, and she apologizes. This is one of the first times Ava mentions her family and demonstrates that despite pretending not to care about much, she does prioritize supporting the people who are essential to her life. 

8. Checking in About Student Attendance

Another great Ava moment happens on Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 2, “Light Bulb.” She notices that one of Gregory’s students has been frequently late to school. 

Ava initially offers a bit of tough love, telling him that, even though he’s currently only a substitute, he should enforce the requirement that the kids get to school by 8 a.m. Then, she mentions that she’d noticed a specific child was late six times in the last two weeks. 

That moment sours a bit when she makes an offputting comment about a sticky bucket to Gregory, but her point still shows that she’s genuinely concerned about the kid. Even though she disguises it as simply reinforcing the rules, there’s no denying that she notices things going wrong for the kids at school, revealing her true empathetic nature underneath her aloof exterior. 

9. Offering Extra School Uniforms

Ava’s empathy especially shines through on Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 13, “Fundraiser.” A student named Henry visits Ava’s office and tells her that he’s had another growth spurt.

At first, she cracks a joke about his pants, which are too short for him. Then, she finds an extra pair of pants in her drawer and gives them to him. This calls back to her conversation with the superintendent about how she always has extra uniforms in her office for kids who can’t afford to buy new ones. 

This small interaction is a quintessential Ava interaction. While she always pokes fun at others, Ava sets her sights on helping her students. Her humor may be relentless, but scenes like this reveal her underlying dedication to serving the school community. 

10. Dating Andre Iguodala

In addition to being a unique principal, Ava has a chaotic life outside of school, as shown on Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 10 “Holiday Hookah.” She runs into Janine outside the club and introduces her to her boyfriend, Andre “Iggy” Iguodala, a former NBA basketball player. 

Ava explains that while Iggy believes they’ve been dating for five years, she believes they’ve only been dating for two. She seems so nonchalant about her star-studded boyfriend while Janine’s jaw is on the floor.

The fact that Ava has never talked about her boyfriend before, even though he’s an NBA player, shows how wild her life is. Outside the school, Ava seems to be living an entirely different reality filled with celebrity connections and unexpected surprises. Her ability to balance her chaotic personal life with her surprisingly effect leadership at Abbott adds another layer to her character. 

11. Standing Up for Barbara

Not only is Ava a good principal (mostly), but she is also a great friend. This is especially evident on Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 5, “Break Up.”

Throughout the episode, Ava watches Barbara’s church choir, who uses the gym for rehearsals, putting Barbara down. After they deny her a solo, Ava finally stands up for Barbara, saying she’s too good for them anyway.

Barbara gets to showcase her vocal chops as she finally gets her solo, free from the church choir. Without Ava’s support and advice, she wouldn’t have found the courage to break free from the toxic group keeping her down.

This episode highlights Ava’s ability to recognize when her friends need support. Her surprising but heartfelt friendship with Barbara is another example of how she finds a way to lift others up unexpectedly.

12. Joining the Book Club

Despite being a principal, Ava rarely spends her free time engaging in academic pursuits. The only exception to that is when she starts a book club on Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 11, “Double Date.” 

She gathers an eclectic group of people for her club, including Mr. Johnson, Melissa, and Barbara. In usual sitcom fashion, the book club spirals out of control, leading to the characters, including Ava, engaging in an intense hypothetical about surviving an apocalyptic world. 

While Ava’s book club may not have been the intellectual gathering one might expect, it perfectly captures her entertaining approach to leadership. Rather than sticking to traditional discussions, she turns the club into a space for lively debates and wild scenarios, proving once again that she thrives best in chaos. 

13. Dressing Up As Blade

As expected, Ava goes above and beyond for Halloween on Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 4, “Costume Contest.” She dresses up as Blade, an iconic Marvel hero. 

Later in the episode, Ava wins the adult costume contest. It’s no surprise, considering that she indeed went all out, donning colored contacts and even donning a new hairstyle accurate to the hero. 

Ava’s commitment to her costume is another example of how she always brings excitement to Abbott Elementary. She makes every event, especially holidays, feel larger than life.

Her Blade costume isn’t just a Halloween win; it’s a reminder that nobody can rock a pair of vampire fangs like Ava Coleman. 

14. Getting A New Scoreboard for Abbott

Despite initially causing trouble on Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 9, “Volunteers,” Ava redeems herself by the end of the episode. 

When Charlie spots a protected bird species on the golf course construction site, Ava brings this up to the people running the golf course. She uses it to blackmail them into paying for a new scoreboard for Abbott Elementary and to get back at the nuisance that the golf course construction has been causing for the school.

Although this may not have been the most ethical decision, it certainly shows Ava’s dedication to Abbott. She has a deep loyalty to her school and will go to great lengths to show it, even if her methods are unconventional. 

15. Securing Funding for Other Schools

One of Ava’s most significant gestures of kindness, reminiscent of her speech during the Season 1 finale, occurs on Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 14, “District Budget Meeting.” Ava runs into her old rival Crystal at this meeting and learns that Abbott has guaranteed funding for their programs.

Even though she’s angry at how rude Crystal is towards her, Ava feels bad upon hearing Crystal crying about how her school doesn’t have enough funding for the kids. She does the unexpected: She asks the board to split the remaining funds Abbott isn’t using among the other schools that weren’t able to get funding. 

This decision perfectly illustrates Ava’s growth as a leader. She prioritizes what’s best for the students at Abbott and all the students in the district.

Despite her beef with Crystal, Ava puts aside her ego to ensure that other schools receive the support they need. She proves that beneath her chaotic exterior, she cares about making a difference where it matters most. 

 

Did your favorite Ava moments make our list? Let us know in the comments!

Abbott Elementary airs Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30c on ABC.

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