After more than two decades of shaping writers, linguists, and athletes, English teacher Margaret Bennett is preparing to retire. 

Bennett didn’t always want to be a teacher – she initially planned to study law at Stanford. But, after reflecting on the people who have made the biggest difference in her life — teachers and coaches — she shifted gears to major in English at Stanford, including an honors education program at Oxford. Bennett earned her master’s degree in English at Stanford in 1990, and started student teaching at Los Altos High School immediately afterwards the same year.

“I wanted to do something that I would look forward to every day,” Bennett said. “Teaching English was about teaching students about life. It’s about becoming a better thinker, writer, reader, and communicator. Those are skills for life, no matter what you do with your career.”

That 1991 student teaching job offer officially began her teaching career at LAHS. She was hired as a teacher the school year after her student teaching and until 2001, Bennett taught a variety of English classes while coaching cross country and track. This led to some work-life balance issues — while pregnant with her first son, she worked 70 to 90 hours a week.

“I realized that I couldn’t be the English teacher and the mom I wanted to be at the same time,” Bennett said. 

So, she stayed home to raise her children for a decade before returning in 2012. After one of LAHS’s assistant principals retired mid-year, English teacher Galen Rosenberg took up the spot, and Bennett replaced him, resuming as a full-time teacher. Bennett has taught a variety of English classes.

Since then, Bennett has become a cornerstone of LAHS. She’s been the English department coordinator, a WASC coordinator, a part of the school’s leadership team, and more. 

“She always seems to know the right thing to say. Whether you’re in a good or bad mood, she can just relate to you,” junior Ella Kanarik said.

Today, Bennett’s personality and classroom decorations all reflect her love for her students, from comforting motivational posters and student poetry to practicing mindfulness in class.

“I’ve just been really deeply connected in the school as a person,” Bennett said. “This school has been such a big part of my identity and life.”

But Bennett didn’t just build her career at LAHS — she built her family too. 30 years ago, Bennett met her husband, history teacher Todd Wangsness, at LAHS. Her two sons also graduated from LAHS. 

“I see this school from a teacher’s point of view, a parent’s point of view, and a coach’s point of view,” Bennett said. 

“One of the most important things that happened to me is meeting her and marrying her,” Wangsness said. “It’s incredible how hard she works every day, every week, every school year, and those attributes also influence our family life.”

Whether she’s going on family vacations, working on home projects, or supporting their sons, Bennett remains active in running their home life smoothly. Both educators at LAHS, Bennett and Wangsness’s common workplace has created a strong foundation in finding balance in work and home life. Their commute to work has been a way to debrief and support each other. 

With Wangsness’s decision to retire this year, the couple decided to go into retirement together. They’re looking to travel, get a dog, attend more of their younger son’s college soccer games, and balance their hobbies. Bennett may be on the younger side to retire, but she has so many things she wants to do after she retires.

“A lot of married couples have different careers and different kinds of occupations,” Wangsness said. “I’ll miss the ins and outs of school life, but we’re going to have our own new lifestyle that we’ll enjoy together.”

“I hope that I’ve inspired my students and my department in some ways,” Bennett said. “We’ve been through a lot together.”