Kyra is a wonder.
As part of University Cooperative School’s literacy team, she works with Randi (K) and Josie (1st, 2nd) to meet each child at an appropriate level and plant seeds for creative, passionate, life-long literacy.
In 3rd-5th grade, this means book groups, journals, research projects, and reading aloud. It means poetry readings, Young Author’s Night, and a fabulous Folktale Festival. But it also means so much more…
Kyra works with kids to build the tools they need to explore their passions, and to share those passions with the world. Literacy is woven into everything we do. It shows up in brainstorming, science project posters, bake sale banners, beat poetry, class meetings, valentine compliments, protest signs, and persuasive essays. It means standing fearlessly behind a microphone to express oneself to an audience. It means coming to love and understand stories from other lands and other points of view, both timely and timeless. By the end of fifth grade, it culminates in the passionate presentation of a glorious play in Shakespearian English. It’s quite a journey!
Along the way, Kyra is a steadfast guide for young people on the threshold of tween-hood, as they come into a new understanding of themselves and of their place in the world. Navigating friendships, community, and social-emotional development is an important part of the 3rd-5th grade experience. Calm and compassionate, Kyra is there for them.
Her passion for teaching comes from her parents:
My mother and father were both teachers and loved their jobs. They taught my sister and me to do what we love and we are both teachers. We learned by example!
At University Cooperative School, I feel trusted and free to teach to each child. I am not bound by someone else’s idea of what would work in the classroom. I enjoy co-teaching and thinking outside of the box. We can be as creative as we want.
Kyra grew up in San Francisco. When she was a girl, she roller-skated everywhere she went. Her favorite books were The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and A Wrinkle in Time. She and her family drove all over the country every summer, (teacher parents!)
Kyra used to work with primates, and would love to go to Madagascar to see lemurs, or anywhere else to see primates in the wild. She has a special fondness for gibbons. She is also an eggplantaholic.
She lives with husband Noel, son Eli, daughter Chloe, and dogs, Lucy and Monkey.
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