Teacher Feature: Ms. Morris, MS Science Teacher and Entrepreneur

Hanna Morris, a middle school science teacher and entrepreneur shares about her teaching experience, as well as her time away from teaching. 

Ms. Morris did her undergraduate work at Oregon State University, where she studied fisheries and wildlife sciences. Later on, she decided to pursue a masters in art and teaching (with a focus on science and math) at George Fox University; after getting her masters she taught in the Napa School District as a 6-8th grade science teacher. Later in her career she made the switch over to online learning, becoming a science teacher at ORCA. Additionally, she serves as ORCA’s School Assessment Coordinator, helping to coordinate state testing.

Ms. Morris recently rejoined the ORCA community after putting a pause on her teaching career. After teaching for many years, Ms. Morris then decided to take a break from education to start a small business, Astor Environmental. Astor Environmental, is a small woman-owned business, run by Ms. Morris. Founded in 2022, Astor Environmental has been working with the government and private organizations to help protect fisheries and wildlife. 

Ms. Morris loves seeing new ideas grab hold of students. “My favorite thing about teaching is seeing a student really get engaged by a topic and seeing their curiosity thrive”, she says. “Science is all about asking questions and when that interest clicks for a student, there is nothing better.” 

Outside of running a business and teaching, Ms. Morris enjoys birding, fishing, playing piano and spending time with her daughter.