Teacher Profile Series: Washtucna teacher Joel Boutelle

Growing up, Joel Boutelle didn’t want to be a teacher; he wanted to be a marine biologist. After 38 years as a teacher though, Boutelle will tell you things worked out pretty well.

Boutelle, who is starting his first year as a teacher at Washtucna, spent 36 years teaching in Arizona before spending last year at Moses Lake.

In Arizona, he taught in schools with over 2,000 students and always had at least 30 students in his class room. In Washtucna, his smallest class size is four.

Family brought Boutelle to Washington from Arizona.

“My wife has a daughter in Tacoma,” Boutelle said. “I had been...