By Lisa Carolin
Jason Morris wears many hats.
He is a part-time teacher and administrator at Beach Middle School, teaching four sections of eighth-grade history, and he’s the school’s athletic director.
Morris is also responsible for the inclusion of middle school sports on Chelsea Update, said Publisher Lisa Allmendinger, who nominated Morris for this feature.
“Jason reminded me that the high school athletes of tomorrow are the middle school athletes of today, and that they work just as hard as their older counterparts. As such, these younger student-athletes deserve as much recognition,” Allmendinger said.
In addition, Morris went out of his way to make sure Chelsea Update was sent these results, and since things work a little differently on the middle school level, he took the time to answer all of Allmendinger’s questions in the early going.
Morris is also the announcer for Chelsea football and boys basketball, and has been an announcer for the University of Michigan baseball, wrestling and women’s soccer teams. He says that announcing sports has always been a hobby, and that he had thoughts of becoming a sports broadcaster.
Morris is a big sports fan and watches a lot of baseball.
“I was one of those kids who would fall asleep with a radio under my pillow growing up listening to the Tigers,” said Morris. “I am a huge Detroit Tigers fan and love traveling the country with Andy Ingall (superintendent of the Chelsea school district) to see different baseball stadiums when possible.”
Not surprisingly, his biggest professional challenge is finding enough time to be in the classroom and to work in the athletics department.
“I enjoy the interactions with kids and watching them grow,” he says. “Going from eighth to ninth grade is such a huge transition, so I do my best to help prepare them for this. I am blessed to work with some great people here in Chelsea.”
That includes his wife, Beth Morris, the school social worker at Beach and at Chelsea High School.
Beach Middle School Principal Nick Angel says, “Jason is successful in his many roles because he has strong organization and communication skills, a get it done attitude, the ability to see both sides of and issue, and relationships already developed in the teaching and coaching realms.”
Morris did his student teaching in Chelsea in 1999 and began teaching in the district in 2001. He’s been the athletic director for four years.
He grew up in Ypsilanti, attended Ypsilanti High School and then Eastern Michigan University.
“I have always had fun telling my students that I have literally worked two jobs in my life. When I was 16 I worked at the local K-Mart for nine years and then I came to Chelsea,” he said. “That’s it.”
(If you would like to nominate a teacher for Chelsea Update’s Focus on Teachers, please email Allmendinger at [email protected].)
Jason is a great teacher, you can tell he really cares for his students! My daughter really enjoys him, we are very glad to have him as one of her teachers. Very funny and just a nice guy! We give him an A+++