Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I grew up retreating into books when times were hard. I learned that living vicariously through characters helped me learn a lot about the world and myself. I want to give students those tools by teaching English! I love working with middle school students because that was such an awkward and difficult stage for me, so I try to make at least one of their classes each day a joy filled experience. Even when we’re working on difficult grammar concepts, I make it fun!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

This happened when I was teaching my Nature Writing elective right after the pandemic. So many students were used to spending all of their time inside staring at screens. I created my elective to push students to notice the small details of the natural world around them. At the end, a student said, “Ms. McLeod, I never knew how before, but now I know how to have fun while playing outside.” That meant so much to me because I grew up playing outside and want to show students how to enjoy nature.

What would you do with the $25,000?

It’s not exciting… but I would invest half and pay off part of my mortgage with the other half. I might use a little for a trip to Portugal. Oh, and of course I’d buy my cats and bearded dragon some treats.