Mr. Doug Wanous is the new OHS Dean of Students
Wanous has been teaching at OHS for 34 years. He has recently taken on the position of the Dean of Students at OHS as well as his English classes.
October 12, 2022
Mr. Doug Wanous has been teaching at OHS for nearly 35 years. However, this year he has started a new position as the Dean of Students here at OHS.
Mr. Wanous previously went to OHS for his high school career. From there, he went to college at University of Concordia, Moorhead where he earned a degree in English. Mr. Wanous came back to his alma mater to teach English and give back to his hometown.
Wanous is currently teaching two AP Lit 100 classes to juniors at OHS. He said, “Lit 100 is my favorite to teach because the literature brings up the many questions of life.”
Lit 100 is my favorite to teach because the literature brings up the many questions of life — Mr. Wanous
His favorite piece of literature in the classes he teaches is Hamlet. Senior Kaitlin Bruessel previously had Wanous. She said, “I really enjoyed his teaching. I learned a lot of vocabulary which made writing essays in other classes easier. I also learned about Shakespeare and his writing.” Many of the students who take Mr. Wanous’ class feel prepared for the next English or writing classes they take.
At the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, Mr. Wanous took on the position of Dean of Students. He said, “As the Dean of Students I support expectations and student success. I reinforce the 3 OTs for success in school life for students.” To achieve this position within the Owatonna School District, Wanous earned his specialist degree and is happy with the new role he plays in the school.
After more than 30 years of teaching English, Wanous chose to tackle a new position. He said, “It feels like a challenge. I wanted to help outside the classroom walls and now I have the opportunity to do so.” This is an exciting part of Wanous’ life and he is ready to see where this takes him later in his teaching career.
Wanous is not only the Dean of Students and an English teacher at OHS, but he also coaches football. He said, “It’s like a buffet. You go up with one plate and only put on what you can eat at that time. You can go back if you want more, but you take what you can handle for the time being.” Wanous arrives at 5:45 a.m. every morning to prepare for his classes. He believes his work ethic came from being a farm kid and waking up early every morning to help out on his farm.
Wanous is looking forward to his new role as the Dean of Students and is excited for a great 2022-23 school year. Wanous can be found in room C-206 or in his office past the attendance desk.
