Our Staff
At Little Elephant, we are incredibly proud of our teaching team. All of our lead teachers have B.A. degrees and are Montessori trained, and collectively we have over 40 years of experience teaching and caring for children. Our passion for teaching children using the Montessori method drives us to work as hard as we do. But we also like to have fun, and we enjoy working together.
Natanya Moore - Director
Little Elephant is owned by Natanya Moore, who received her International Montessori teaching credential from the St. Nicholas Centre for the Montessori Method of Education in London in 1992. With 29 years of experience teaching at the infant through kindergarten level, Natanya has trained Montessori instructors at the Santa Monica Montessori Teacher Training Institute, established new programs, and served as a director in other schools. Natanya works powerfully to support Little Elephant’s core values of Kindness, Peace, Passion for Learning, Community Building, and Creativity. She is also the mother of 18-year-old Duncan.
Rockridge
Paola Contreras - Lead Teacher - Caterpillar Class
Ms. Paola was born and raised in Mexico and has lived in several cities, including Mexico City, Puebla, and her hometown of Querétaro. In 2019, she moved to the Bay Area to study and earn her Early Childhood Montessori credential. During this program, she developed a deep appreciation for the Montessori philosophy and chose to further her education. She has since earned credentials in Early Childhood Montessori, Infant and Toddler Montessori, and Montessori Administration.
Passionate about the Montessori approach, Ms. Paola values its focus on guiding the whole child, supporting academic growth while fostering social and emotional development. She believes in helping children become kind, caring citizens of the world who can problem-solve, self-regulate, believe in themselves, and find motivation from within. Her goal is to support each child in developing independence, grace, courtesy, and respect for themselves, others, and the environment.
Outside the classroom, Ms. Paola enjoys picnics, gardening, and exploring small towns with her husband and their two dogs. She also loves barbecuing, learning new things, and spending time with her loved ones.
Nayeli - Support Teacher - Caterpillar Class
Ms. Nayeli was born in California to parents who are both from Mexico. She has an eight-year-old son, Damian, and together they enjoy spending their evenings going on walks and visiting the park.
With nine years of teaching experience in play-based settings, working with infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children, Ms. Nayeli brings a wealth of knowledge and care to her work. This is her second year in a Montessori environment, where she continues to grow as a guide. She is passionate about helping children develop independence and takes pride in supporting their growth into confident, capable individuals.
Jennifer Kottage Lund - Lead Teacher - Butterfly Class
Jennifer was introduced to the Montessori philosophy while she was studying Business in Santa Barbara. The logical and intuitive nature of the Montessori classroom immediately resonated with her. This introduction profoundly changed the direction of her career path. She had the unique opportunity to be trained "in-house" by several exceptional Montessori Guides, one of whom provided her with invaluable, precise, and elegant weekly lessons that shaped her understanding and approach. During this period, she also earned a degree in Early Childhood Education, with a specific focus on Positive Discipline, and gained extensive practical experience co-teaching in a Primary classroom for a full decade. After moving back to the Bay Area, Jennifer further solidified her commitment to Montessori by earning her Early Childhood Montessori Credential, and has been a dedicated Guide at Little Elephant Montessori School since January of 2017.
Jennifer and her husband have spent nearly a year traveling, exploring 19 countries across four continents, and taking a four-month road trip through 25 states. These experiences have significantly enriched their lives and greatly influenced how Jennifer guides young minds, reinforcing her belief that perspective is invaluable. These travels continue to shape her approach as a guide, a mother, a partner, and a global citizen.
Jennifer is a strong advocate for the development of the whole child, recognizing that their academic, social, and emotional growth are all essential for fostering well-rounded, confident, and critical-thinking individuals. For her, Montessori is more than just a philosophy; it's a way of life that extends far beyond the classroom. Jennifer takes pride in providing a learning environment that is tailored to each child's individual needs and helps them develop the skills and abilities to apply themselves, communicate effectively, and navigate the world in a more organized manner.
Flor Zepeda - Support Teacher - Butterfly Class
Flor is the Butterfly class support teacher.
Monica Lannon - Afternoon Lead Teacher
Monica joined Little Elephant in 2021, bringing her love and creativity to art and science. She was raised in Los Altos in the South Bay and moved to Oakland to pursue her passion for art.
Monica holds a degree in Graphic Design from California College of the Arts, a Culinary Degree from Tanta Marie, and an Early Childhood Education Degree from Merritt College. She has always felt her education came full circle with teaching. Monica has been teaching in the classroom for seven years and eleven years as a teacher's aide for elementary and middle school and taught a pod of kindergartners for a year.
Her innovation and creativity are driven by the children’s excitement when chasing bubbles, dancing to music, creating art, building sand castles, reading, and their enthusiasm and curiosity for nature and science. Monica loves to travel, hike, visit museums, watch great movies, listen to music and NPR, cook and share excellent meals and spend time with family.
Berkeley
Julie Larwood - Lead Teacher
Julie helped to set up Little Elephant Too! and has been the morning lead teacher since the opening in 2016. She had already been teaching for over 30 years prior.
During college, she studied early childhood education and worked in childcare at a Montessori school. Then moved up to assistant, lead teacher & director over the years.
Julie received her Montessori certificate at San Francisco Montessori Training Center/AMS in San Leandro, CA.
Julie grew up in the Bay Area and now lives in Oakland with her husband. She volunteers for the Oakland Museum and other activities to help beautify Oakland. She enjoys the ocean and little short trips up and down the coast of California!
Katsuko Kataoka - Teacher
Katsuko was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan, where she earned her BA in Elementary Education and Special Education. After working in the fashion industry for 15 years in Tokyo and San Francisco, Katsuko made a career change, returning to the education field to become a teacher. Katsuko started working at a Montessori school in Alameda in 2016 and obtained her Montessori early childhood credential in 2018.
She joined Little Elephant Too! in 2022. Katsuko is very happy working with children and loves to share her language and culture with them.
Joseph Niles - Afternoon Lead Teacher
Joseph is a passionate early childhood educator with over ten years of experience teaching preschool-age children in the East Bay Area. He brings a unique perspective to his work, informed by his love of history, art, writing, and nature.
Joseph attained his Montessori Teacher's Certificate early in his career through the Montessori Teacher Education Center, which has shaped his teaching approach and understanding of child development. He continues to pursue his education, currently enrolled in classes to obtain degrees in Early Childhood Education and Human Development.
In addition to his passion for education, Joseph also enjoys building things. With his creativity and hands-on skills, he contributes to developing a stimulating and engaging outdoor learning space for children. He is currently working to enrich the outdoor environment at Little Elephant Too!
Julia Arriola - Support Teacher
Julia Arriola joined Little Elephant in 2020. She has been focused on exploring new ways to create strong connections with children and facilitate their growth and development. Throughout her time at Little Elephant, Julia has taken great pleasure in watching children develop and learn new skills. Her favorite part of working in this field is witnessing the sense of pride and accomplishment children feel when they have achieved a personal goal or milestone.
Julia is a highly skilled and experienced educator with a passion for working with children. She is patient, kind, and understanding, and she has a knack for making children feel comfortable and safe. Julia is also very creative and has a wealth of ideas for activities and games that are both educational and fun. She is always looking for new ways to challenge and engage children, and she is always willing to go the extra mile to help them succeed.
