Finding a framework
College of Education grad aspires to work with Native American students
Shortly after Joseph Claunch left Wa Le Hut Indian School as a troubled eight-year-old, his family moved across the country. Twenty years later, Claunch returned to the school to student teach—the final step of completing a master’s degree from the University of Oregon College of Education.
Claunch’s passion to teach was fueled by his experiences growing up. Teachers who cared about his success and understood obstacles he faced helped him overcome an intense dislike for school. They instilled in Claunch a faith in education. When he returned to his elementary school in Nisqually, Washington, to teach, he wanted to do the same thing for his students.
“I was hopeful I could draw out what was best in each student, especially because of my experiences and attitudes growing up,” says Claunch, a member of the Puyallup Nation of Tacoma, Washington. “I have an understanding about where they’re coming from, what challenges they face, and why they might not like or appreciate school and education.”
Claunch was part of the College of Education’s Sapsikwala Project. Members of federally recognized tribes or descendants of members are eligible for the program, which provides tuition and a monthly living stipend as well as book and computer allowances. In return, the program’s grads must teach at tribal or Title VII-funded schools.
Returning to Wa He Lut as a student teacher solidified Claunch’s desire to teach.
“I really saw immense creativity and intelligence in the students, but they were faced with so many obstacles,” he says. “My experiences at the University of Oregon and student teaching really gave me a language and a framework for understanding my experiences and also those experiences of students who are sometimes at a disadvantage in education.”
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