People who have never taught don’t quite understand just how stressful it can be. Teacher stress is much worse than the stress you encounter in many other careers. Not only are teachers “on” all day, but they often work extra hours outside of contract work and act as mentors, caregivers, peacemakers, social workers, and more …
Jane Morris, Queen of Commiseration
Jane Morris is the pen name of an ex-teacher who would really like to tell you more about herself but is worried awful administrators will come after her for spilling their dirty little secrets. Jane has taught English for over 15 years in a major American city. She received her B.A. in English and Secondary Education from a well-known university and her M.A. in Writing and Literature from an even fancier (and more expensive) university. As a professional queen of commiseration turned published author, Jane’s foremost passion in life is to make people laugh through the tears.
She has written several highly acclaimed books unpacking the reality of teaching and life inside the school system. You can view her full library of works here.
Violent and destructive student behavior continues to get worse in schools across the nation, and current consequences do not seem to be stopping the behavior. Can schools and districts properly handle outrageous behavior before things become out of control? Restorative Justice in Schools In 2018, I wrote about the alarming lack of consequences for violent …
The issues of Common Core State Standards (curriculum standards for the nation), and the PARCC standardized testing that is administered to check those standards, are extremely complicated. It is a matter of how far down the rabbit hole one wishes to go. I will introduce you to the essential facts of Common Core standardized testing, …
It’s hard to get an accurate number of the average teacher salary by state in America. Data for each state is published by many different agencies and organizations every year, and none of it is exactly the same. In the same year, you may see one source claim that South Dakota has the lowest teacher …
After a teacher gets through their first few years of dressing the part, they tend to fall into a comfortable pattern of attire. And what they choose often reveals a lot about them! See what your teacher clothes reveal about you below! Teacher Clothes Most teachers fall into one of the following teacher clothing categories. …
I think it is cruel to expect a pregnant woman to work if she doesn’t want to. It is a precious and difficult time, both physically and emotionally. It is a lot to ask a gestating woman to handle the various stressful tasks that come with many jobs, but to expect a pregnant teacher to …
Excuses for Being Absent Family members impede kids from attending school in some very strange ways. Excuses include a mom who refused to drive her kid to school because she had her period (I relate to this but I’d rather endure the car ride and get rid of my kid for the day), a grandma …
The school nurse shortage in America and elsewhere continues to get worse with no good (or appropriate) solutions in sight. Despite teachers and school nurses all reaching high levels of burnout, one government’s solution to address the school nurse shortage is potentially downright dangerous. School Nurse Shortage The amount of things that teachers are expected …
While there is a primary focus on students who bully in schools right now, there are few published studies on parents and students who bully teachers. Research shows that a fifth of teachers have been abused online by students or their parents. In most of these cases, absolutely nothing was done, even the incidents that …
It’s always a gamble come the holidays or the end of the year when it comes to what (if any) gifts admin will give the teachers. While many schools are generous during Teacher Appreciation Week with massages, delicious lunches, and more, some admin opt for crappy puns and useless junk. After polling other teachers on …
Student aggression in the classroom happens all too often despite a teacher’s warnings about a violent student. Later when a student attacks a teacher, the teacher is often blamed for the incident. The following is about a teacher who suffered severe injury from one such violent student assault. Early Concerns with a Violent Student Kim …
As a veteran teacher, I’ve come to find that becoming a new teacher is a lot like becoming a new parent. In fact, a lot of the new teacher advice I received after graduation also doubles as great advice for new parents. New Teacher Advice I’ve received my fair share of new teacher advice from …