Alisun Thompson

Alisun Thompson is an Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Puget Sound's School of Education. As a former middle school teacher and teacher educator, she focuses on the social and political contexts of education, structural challenges in K-12 systems, and preparing educators for culturally responsive, justice-centered practices. Her 2024 book, Going the Distance: The Teaching Profession in a Post-COVID World, analyzes teacher burnout and resilience post-pandemic.

• Education: BA (1989) and PhD (2014) in Education from the University of California Santa Cruz
• Teaching: Courses in the undergraduate Education Studies minor and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program
• Research: Examines workplace conditions impacting teacher retention and adaptive capacity

Thompson emphasizes fostering reflective teaching practices in her students, ensuring they can adapt pedagogical tools to diverse classrooms. She joined Puget Sound after teaching at Lewis & Clark College and remains engaged with K-12 education through her scholarship.