John Traynor, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Teacher Education

Dr. John Traynor is an Assistant Professor at Gonzaga University in the Department of Teacher Education where he specializes in the Foundations of Education, Teaching in the Middle School and Jesuit Education. John received his B.A. from the University...

Dr. John Traynor

Contact Information

Education & Curriculum Vitae

Ph.D., Culture Studies and Social Thought in Education, Washington State University

M.I.T., Endorsements: Social Studies, History, Political Science, Seattle University

B.A., Political Science, University of Washington

Courses Taught

EDTE 101: Foundations of Education

EDTE 241: Teaching in the Middle School

EDTE 460S: Secondary Classroom Management

EDTE 511: Instructional Foundations

EDTE 520: Teaching in the Middle School

EDTE 555S: Secondary Classroom Management


Dr. John Traynor is an Assistant Professor at Gonzaga University in the Department of Teacher Education where he specializes in the Foundations of Education, Teaching in the Middle School and Jesuit Education. John received his B.A. from the University of Washington in Political Science, went on to receive his Masters of Initial Teaching in Secondary Social Studies from Seattle University, and finally received his PhD in Culture Studies and Social Thought in Education from Washington State University. Prior to coming to Gonzaga, John taught for nine years as a high school social studies teacher. John is an avid outdoorsman with passions for skiing, biking and fly fishing.

Traynor, J.E. (2011). Secondary education in Washington state: a historical look at teaching change in a changing world. Northwest Passage: Journal of the Northwest Association of Teacher Educators, 9(1), 42-55. (Electronic Version)

Salina, C. & Traynor, J. (2009). Creating and sustaining a structured professional learning community within a catholic context. Momentum: The Journal of the National Catholic Educational Association, 40(2), 32-35.

Traynor, J. E. (2006). [Review of the book Writing Her Own Life: Imogene Welch, Western Rural Schoolteacher]. Columbia: The Magazine of Northwest History, 20(2), 46-47.

Traynor, J. E. (2006). [Review of the book One Room Out West: The Story of the Jore School and its Students]. Columbia: The Magazine of Northwest History, 20(2), 46-47.

McKenna, M., Anderson, J., Traynor, J. & Pendras, M. (2004). Service-learning in teacher education: accomplishments, challenges, and promising developments. Northwest Passage: Journal of Education Practices, 3(1), 74-79.

Traynor, J., Tully, T. (2019) Discovering Together, Teacher College Record. 121 (12), 1-34

Napolitan, K., Traynor, J., Tully, D., Carney, J., Donnelly, S. (2019) Towards Teacher Preparation 3.0, Teacher College Record, 121 (12), 1-44

Case, A.F., Traynor, J. (2016) Early field experience innovations to increase positive impact on K-12 students, AILACTE Journal, 13, 1-22.

Research Interests:

  • Catholic Education (K-12)
  • Service Learning/Community-Based/Place-Based Learning (K-16)
  • History of Education
  • Jesuit Secondary Education