Teacher Spotlight: Leslie Margolis

Leslie Margolis is a long-term substitute in the high school Humanities Department at Sequoyah School. She attended Clark University in Massachusetts and studied government and sociology, and received a master’s in social anthropology from the London School of Economics. In the spring 2024 semester, Margolis taught Humanities 2B, US History, and several Z-block electives, and served as a 9th grade advisor and SIP facilitator. When asked about taking over an advisory in the middle of the year Marigolis responded with, “It's really great and interesting. I'm really enjoying getting to know the ninth graders!”

A writer of books for young readers, Margolis first heard of Sequoyah from an author visit at the school. “I did an author visit here to the lower school about 10 years ago. I had just moved back to California from New York,” she said, adding that she loves the community here at Sequoyah. “Oh, it’s great. I love it. It’s a really nice place to teach.” 

Marigolis has many different favorite authors, but some of her favorites include Joan Didion, Thomas Pynchon, and Gabriel García Marquez. When asked about favorite books she responded, “It's always such a hard question. I can't even pick one. I’m always reading [several] at once. I love James Baldwin.” 

Margolis’s favorite things to do outside of teaching include going to the beach with her family, spending time with her dogs, reading, and going to art museums in Downtown LA. 

If you want any good book recommendations or some good museums to visit, be sure to ask her!