Ms. McLeod teaching Humanities I.
Last year, after eight years as a ninth-grade humanities teacher, Ms. McLeod stepped down from her full-time teaching position to devote more time to responsibilities at home. However, she was not ready to give up teaching entirely. Every Wednesday, Ms. McLeod returns to campus to teach DLI Sociology.
Although teaching sociology is a new role at Wooster for Ms. McLeod, her teaching experience extends far beyond that. For 40 years, Ms. McLeod has taught math, psychology, child development, and humanities while working in many different teaching environments.
“I've been able to teach in urban, suburban and rural school settings, and in public and private schools,” she said. “They are all different, but students are the same. It's so interesting getting to know them.”
Before teaching at Wooster, Ms. McLeod worked at Brewster High School, where she worked alongside Mr. Byrnes and Ms. Higgins.
“The most fundamental thing about education is forming connections,” said Ms. McLeod.
When Mr. Byrnes described his goals for Wooster, he focused on helping children grow as people while meeting their individual needs. Ms. McLeod knew Wooster would be the school for her. Her mission as an educator has always come from the hope of giving every student the greatest possible opportunity to discover their identities and express themselves as individuals. She enjoys Wooster's atmosphere and the unique dynamic between students and teachers.
“To be a teacher, you have to be a lifelong learner,” she said.
Students in Ms. McLeod's class said that within the first couple of weeks of school, they have already learned so much about human behavior and conducting observations. Learning goes beyond the classroom as students have been analyzing the social landscape of the dining hall, parking lot and other spaces.
“I look forward to learning more about why people act the way they do and the choices they make,” Abbey ’27, a sociology student, said.
“I hope my social understanding of how humans interact and work can better my ability to communicate with others,” Beaudan ’27 agreed.
Ms. McLeod has been part of the Wooster community for nine years, and students say she has helped many grow and thrive. Sociology allows students to understand what it means to be a member of this society and why we behave the way we do.
Avery '28
Advanced Journalism
Parker '27
Advanced Journalism
