A Farewell to Mr. Morris

History and Social Sciences teacher Timothy Morris will be leaving Deerfield after this school year. He teaches Ancient Civilizations, U.S. History, and From Sun Tzu to Suicide Bombers. In addition, he coaches Varsity Football and Varsity Wrestling, and is the hall resident for Scaife II He has been at Deerfield for two years.

Prior to Deerfield, he served in the Marine Corps for six years, working at posts in the Philippines and Iraq. While at Deerfield, he continued to contribute to military training in western Massachusetts; for the first half of spring term this year, he took a leave of absence to be trained as a Weapons and Tactics Instructor at a Marine base in Arizona.

Mr. Morris said that he treasured “quality time, in the classroom, on the field, and in the dorm, with students.” He said that he will miss the curiosity and insight of his classes and the opportunity to meet a variety of students during sit-down meals.

James Fealy ’24, who is Mr. Morris’ advisee, in addition to residing on Scaife 2 and playing on Varsity Football, said, “I really enjoyed my time with Mr. Morris as my advisor. I feel like he always wanted what was best for me and pushed me to be the best I could be.”

His student Aly Gonzalez ’23 said, “He’s really passionate about what he teaches, and he’s really understanding and flexible around your schedule and how you want to work. […] There was a really fun project where we researched a current event and gave a presentation […] It was really insightful because we were able to understand the history of America through modern issues. […] Mr. Morris has really helped me improve my work ethic and I’ve been able to work more consistently. I’ve gotten a really well-rounded understanding of American history through his class because he knows so much and he’s able to provide multiple perspectives without clouding our judgment. […] He’s always quoting ‘growth mindset’ stuff, and although we don’t usually take it seriously, it actually really helps, because it’s a small reminder […] that everything will eventually work out as long as you stick with it.”