Meet PHS teacher Jeanne Bain

By Emily Weinlick

PHS staff member

Planet Homeschool (PHS) teacher Jeanne Bain enjoys teaching lots of things at PHS: Creative Writing, Speak Up, Impromptu, Philosophy. Next spring she will be teaching a Fan Fiction class. Jeanne says she likes to teach classes that get young people “talking to each other about issues and experiences." In Jeanne’s mind the most wonderful gift in the world is to be a part of a teenager’s life. She says that there is so much to learn from them.

Jeanne started teaching in her basement. Jeanne pointed out, “School was my favorite thing to play yet my least favorite to attend.” She started her more advanced teaching around 8 years old by holding a summer camp in her backyard. When she grew into an adult she started coaching speech and teaching theatre classes, after she had left the world of professional theatre. When she was in her twenties she really realized where her heart was… it was with teaching. She likes to make all her classes engaging and energizing because otherwise she and her students will get bored. Jeanne says, “The students at PHS teach other so much, it is through exploration and experience that learning happens so I’m lucky to just stand back and hold space while it unfolds!”

Jeanne started teaching at PHS because Kate Searls asked her if she would be interested in teaching a Creative Writing class. Her son Sam was an amazing writer and had many creative, and intelligent friends that wanted a writing class. They preferred a low-pressure class that focused on the creative process instead of creative product. This was definitely her sort of class! At the time Jeanne was also an instructor at The Loft Literary Center’s summer youth program, so to her teaching writing during a school year sounded terrific!

Jeanne says, “Sadly, I wasn’t homeschooled myself. I went to a traditional school.” Jeanne didn’t even know any homeschoolers while growing up in a small town in southern Minnesota. Jeanne said she had a lot of amazing teachers in her school experience. She had a teacher named Dennis Kalow who taught a class named “What’s Art All About” that made Jeanne the teacher who she is today. And then in her college she had a professor named Philip Morseberger who really made her think about art and life and made a huge impact on her.

Jeanne has two kids. Aidan is a freshman at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. Jeanne homeschooled Aidan for 2 years. Alas, he hated it. Jeanne homeschooled Finn for 1 year. Finn is now in 4th grade at the Cyber Village Academy.

What does she enjoy most about PHS? She said, “How willing the kids and teens are to take risks, jump in and have fun. They aren’t afraid of doing things wrong.”

And finally some personal info on Jeanne! Jeanne became a Doctor Who fan at the urging of Victoria Signorellli and Kathleen Willard. She enjoys sewing yet admits that she isn’t that great at it. She likes cleaning and organizing her house, yet this will make a laugh because her students think that she is the most disorganized teacher that PHS has ever had, she thinks. She owns a three-wheel bike and occasionally rides it. She enjoys family time like most people and going to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts on her own to work on her novel. And to wrap this up, Jeanne’s favorite time of year is Fall. She loves the slow descent into the season of hibernation.