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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.
I am always trying to find new ways to make fun of educational jargon. I really dislike words like “differentiate,” “scaffold,” and “unpack” because they take a fairly simple concept that most teachers do anyway and turn them into complicated, irritating non-sense. Even worse are condescending phrases like “Remember your why!” This is meant to …
The government requires you to obtain a license to drive, own a gun, fish, hunt, teach, practice law, practice medicine, fly a plane, sell alcohol, get married, and even operate a forklift. Some lesser-known things that require a license are breeding dogs, babysitting, having a garage sale, performing in public, building a garage, opening a …
I get asked a lot about teacher appreciation gifts. Usually, the question is something along the lines of “What are the best gifts for teachers?” Now, while I have a lot of thoughts there, I much prefer to answer in terms of gifts that we teachers DON’T want. Over the years colleagues and I have …
I was done being a teacher. I had said that I was done with teaching as I cried hysterically in my car many times before, but this time felt different. This Was Different I’d had bad classes before, with kids who seemed to get a kick out of making the teacher cry. But I never …
Being a teacher in current times is considered to be the most stressful job there is. The workload is unreasonable, the behavior is unmanageable, and administration has ridiculous demands. Now imagine trying to handle all of that while you undergo aggressive treatment for cancer! I interviewed 6 teachers who are undergoing or have recently had …
Teachers are used to having to beg, borrow, and cry for much needed classroom supplies. And these aren’t just cute decorations they’re trying to get their hands on. We’re talking about classroom essentials like paper, pre sharpened pencils, and even books. While people might realize that school districts don’t always give teachers school supplies, they …
Either you’re a teacher who has decided that it’s time to change careers, or you’re just examining your options after a particularly hellish day in the classroom, I have lots of ideas for jobs for former teachers. I have ideas for a former teacher where you will use your teaching skills, like writing lesson plans, …
Apparently, they don’t teach email etiquette in school because teachers get emails every day from students and parents that are shockingly rude. While I would think that how to email a teacher would be common sense, there are basic aspects of this that many people don’t seem to know, such as starting with a greeting. …
Imagine what a traditional parent teacher conference was like 30 years ago. The child’s teacher would discuss what goes on during the school day, the child’s performance in academics and behavior, how the child interacts with others, grade level expectations, the child’s strengths, etc. But these days, parent teacher conferences are much less predictable. The …
Professional development is defined as “a variety of specialized training, formal education, or advanced professional learning intended to help teachers improve their professional knowledge, competence, skill, and effectiveness.” I honestly don’t think most teachers would have a problem going to these trainings if we actually learned something from them. Instead, they are almost always a …
I never taught an AP class, mostly because of the workload. Your average AP student is going to turn in every major assignment, and in AP English class, that would mean a ton of essays to grade. I never would have thought that kids would write funny wrong answers on their AP exams, mostly because …