I was still young but had some interesting miles behind me already before I taught my first class. How did a guy with graduate degrees in nuclear engineering and theological studies become a teacher and a leader in ethics education and moral growth? It’s an unusual story. I’d be happy to tell it to you sometime.

I’m not a sappy person, and I’m not romantic about the teaching profession either. It’s a tough job, and it demands more from me than I often think I have to give. But when the students take their seats, Mr. Leet is able to access reserves of energy and patience that Tim Leet just minutes earlier could not. It couldn’t be more clear to me that teaching is what I’m here to do.

I attended seminary for three years when I was in my twenties. I was and remain deeply interested in what it means to live a good life. I was hired into schools to teach physics, and I did that for twenty fulfilling years. I taught Newton’s laws, optics, and electromagnetism, but the physics curriculum had nothing at all to say about finding meaning in life or cultivating character. To me these things have always been the deep purpose of education.

In 2010 the head of school at Columbus Academy where I teach invited me to lead a multi-year, school-wide initiative for ethics and character development. My charge was deep and broad. Because school culture is the most potent character educator in any school, there wasn’t a corner of our campus that was not implicated in this work.

• Lead the entire community in a process to identify core values for the school.
• Lead training with faculty to discuss how those values give shape to “how we do school.” 
• Revise handbook and develop new faculty training around our commitment to ethics.
• Create a new course in ethical decision making required for high school students.
• Guide student leaders in their work to better our community.
• Collaborate with the athletic department to define coaching guidelines.

In the dozen or so years since, I’ve grown from eager conference attendee, to regular presenter, to recognized leader in the field. I wrote a regular column for the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education’s magazine. Some talented colleagues and I from across the country founded Heart and Character, and I served as its Executive Director for the first three years. I wrote “Ethics and Identity,” a textbook meant to fill a gaping hole in teacher resources available to support older adolescents in moral identity development. I’m currently working on a new book. 

I want to share what I’ve learned with you. There is a science to supporting the moral growth of students that too many educators don’t know. Contact me to learn more.