A Clover Park School District story.
Our CPSD Staff Spotlight this week features Open Doors English and social studies teacher Kyle Burrow.
He retired from the military six years ago and made a major shift in careers to pursue his passion. “I was ready to do something different. So, I was thinking about what would make me happy and realized I didn’t really want to work with adults anymore,” he joked. “I wanted to be out in the world teaching because, for me, it’s rewarding to help kids.”
After earning his master’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University, Kyle student taught at Lakes High School and discovered his teaching style might not be the best fit. “I initially wanted to teach in a traditional class, but after experiencing small class sizes at PLU, I thought it would be great to go back to that and to try new styles of teaching,” he said.
Luckily, Kyle was able to join Open Doors and work one-on-one with students. “All of our kids come here because something didn’t work for them at the other high schools, so here we get to try all kinds of stuff and have more flexibility to see what works,” he said.
“At Open Doors we not only want the kids’ input but we rely on it to shape the way we teach, so I think we end up having a closer and more collaborative relationship with our students.”
As an army veteran, Kyle is used to relocating almost every year. But after almost five years in the district, the scenery and fun outdoor activities of the Pacific Northwest make him want to stay here for good.
