Chanun Caine

Chanun Caine is a dedicated education leader with 15 years of experience spanning multiple levels of instruction. She has served in a range of teaching and administrative roles across domestic and international settings, including as Director of Clinical Education and as an elementary teacher in Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and a tribal school in the United States. With a Doctorate in Education from Northeastern University and a Master’s in K–8 Education from the University of Washington, Dr. Caine brings deep expertise in teacher preparation, curriculum design, and accreditation compliance. She has successfully led clinical practice programs for teacher certification, overseen Early Childhood and Educational Leadership master’s programs, and redesigned teacher mentoring programs.

Rooted in a teaching philosophy that prioritizes inclusion, equity, and reflective practice, Dr. Caine fosters learning environments where teacher candidates feel supported, valued, and empowered to lead. She models and teaches anti-bias strategies, multimodal collaboration, and community-centered pedagogy to help educators build classrooms where all students belong. Her work bridges theory and practice by integrating trauma-informed care, responsive classroom strategies, and inquiry-based learning into educator preparation. Dr. Caine is particularly passionate about helping new teachers recognize their own identities and positionalities as a foundation for cultivating justice-oriented, empathetic classroom communities. In her free time Dr. Caine plays pickleball and goes kayaking with her partner. She can also be found walking all over Tacoma, even the PLU campus, with her dog, Kavi.