In It For the Joy
Margaret “Peggy” Morris comes from a family of educators and therapists. Her mother was a middle school teacher who set high expectations for her three daughters. Morris’ sisters went on to become a speech-language pathologist and a Title I reading instructor.
Disability was also a part of her family life. Her father had lived with the long-term effects of polio since he was a teenager. “My dad had a really great quality of life,” says Morris. “We were a happy family and disability was just a typical part of our household. It may be why my sisters and I gravitated towards helping professions.”
At Tufts, Morris teaches many of the pediatric occupational therapy classes, which focus on the occupations of children in the context of their school and family life. She also teaches all of the courses for the Advanced Professional School-Based Practice Certificate, which gives practicing school occupational therapists the opportunity to enhance their expertise in evaluation, intervention, and special education law, and to grow their skill set alongside a specialized group of educators.
“I always knew I wanted to work with children,” Morris says. “I’m in it for the joy and laughter, and those lightbulb moments when a student really grasps a concept or skill. You see that teaching both small children and college students – it’s so rewarding.”
Prior to Tufts, Morris worked primarily in school-based settings. She worked with children with and without disabilities and carried out individual education programs. Her preference, drawing on best practices in education research, was to collaborate directly with teachers in inclusive classroom environments that have been shown to increase learning outcomes for all students.
Morris also founded her own private practice before joining the Tufts faculty in 2012. She worked with children with a variety of disabilities and challenges, including autism, developmental delays, sensory processing disorders, attention regulation difficulties, and terminal diseases.
“I love working in OT because it makes you see the world differently,” she says. “I’m always observing people in their environments and strategizing what they can do to make their lives better. I appreciate that we’re able to care for people’s mental and physical wellness at the same time. It’s a very holistic approach to health and well-being.”
Morris received her BS in occupational therapy from Utica College and her MA from Boston University. She went on to earn an OTD and certificate in school-based occupational therapy from Tufts University. “I never planned on teaching occupational therapy,” Morris says. “It just happened that after finishing my post-professional OTD at Tufts, it seemed like I had specialized knowledge that was useful to the department. I loved them and fortunately they loved me too.”
Morris has taken a number of courses at the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) program, which works with faculty, departments, and schools to advance a learner-centered culture at Tufts. The program helped shape Morris’ teaching style, which involves student choice and experiential learning opportunities, wherein students select the projects they undertake and confront real-world challenges. Morris now serves on the board of the CELT program.
“I’m very motivated to do things well,” Morris reflects. “I think this comes from having an educator for a mother and being the oldest child in my family. I love a good challenge and being the best teacher I can be for my Tufts students has been a great challenge.”
Morris also values the collaborative nature of the Tufts Occupational Therapy Department. “All of the faculty are really outside-the-box thinkers,” she says. “I’ve partnered with a number of them on different projects and innovative learning opportunities. It’s a dynamic, fun place to be.”
When Morris isn’t teaching or meeting with her students, she enjoys gardening, golf, traveling, and making art. A registered yoga and mindfulness instructor, she can often be found on her yoga mat. Her most treasured pastime, however, is spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.