Bill Morelan

About BILL MORELAN: First and foremost, I'm a life-long educator that loves kids and is interested in just about everything! I've been a consultant for several national curricula, served as Publication Chair for the Arkansas Reading Association, and was a finalist for the Arkansas Teacher of the Year. In addition to my books on Amazon (see below), I'm also the author of Kendall Hunt's Science Readers (a leveled reading series), and the occasional article in educational journals and magazines. My educational career spans decades as a classroom teacher, an elementary principal, a high school principal, and a district curriculum administrator. These days I teach a graduate courses in educational leadership at a major state university. Oh, and I don't drink coffee. Coffee is a "grown-up" drink, and I refuse to grow up!

About "MARRIED FOR LIFE": This was written as a labor of love and dedicated to my maternal grandparents. Grandpa and Grandma Harris were married when she was 17 and he was 18. Grandma passed away at 98 and he "checked out" (his words) about a year later, just shy of his 100th birthday. They were a major anchor point in my life, and curiosity about other long marriages led to the interviews that resulted in the book. Other than my grandparents, my favorite interview was with Mattie Johnson, who was passed away about three months after we talked ... at the age of 106!

About "AIR IS NOT OXYGEN": A few years ago, my oldest daughter (a homeschool mom) expressed a concern that there were "gaps" in her son's science curriculum. She wondered if I could put together some material to help ensure that she was covering all the science basics before he started high school. That "little project" grew into the book "Air Is Not Oxygen - Essential Science You Should Have Learned, But Probably Didn't!" Simply put, it's a fun way to cover fundamental science concepts, with short, simple chapters that focus on mastering key concepts instead of just memorizing facts, and dozens of hands-on activities that help make science come alive! (My grandson is a reluctant reader, so that's his favorite part.)

About "THE NOVICE TEACHER SURVIVAL GUIDE": (written under the pseudonym "Justin Case") ln a satirical style reminiscent of Dave Barry or Andy Borowitz, this book takes a tongue-in-cheek look at education’s sacred cows. Topics (targets) include classroom management, effective teaching, state standards, lesson planning, high-stakes testing, and much more. On a more serious note, the final chapter is filled with a wealth of resources that will make any teacher’s life easier. A great gift for veteran teachers, too! According to one reviewer, "every page contains the most pertinent details about effective teaching that I have ever seen crammed into such an entertaining and effective text. I highly recommend it to every teacher--especially those who are just entering the field. Material that is often difficult to read is herein presented with discipline and humor. It is really quite amazing."

What's next? Stay tuned!