About Margaret
Energy, Enthusiasm, and Elegance are the three words that best describe Margaret Walker. Her positive approach to, love of and excitement for life plus herteaching and leadership skills have taken her from captain of her college cheer leading squad, to winning multiple beauty contests, to coaching young ladies to participate in them and being a judge, to a career as an educator, and a successful tennis coach. In addition to being head of her schools English Department, Margaret has her Master's degree from The University of South Carolina; is a nationally certified teacher and one of the most dynamic speakers on the platform. Her deep seeded belief in others, her education, and her superb teaching skills, have enabled her to be a dynamic educator for the past (she won't tell us) years where over a decade ago, she went "behind the fence" as she refers to it, where she is head of the English Department at Birchwood High School located on the campus of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and currently teaches 15 to 19 year-old incarcerated males. Whether she was teaching a Travelers Rest High School in what is called "The Dark Corner of South Carolina" or in a classroom filled with young men who are living through what some might refer to as their "Dark Day", Margaret has been a ray of light, hope and encouragement for young people for a long time and today, works with others toward the common goal of promoting, producing, and sustaining excellence in education.
In addition, Margaret speaks to women’s groups using her gift of humor, her enthusiasm and her energy to encourage and uplift them. Through humorous examples, stories and exercises, she helps women identify their strengths and to be more excited about life.
For someone like Margaret Walker with a vision for the betterment of education, one might be surprised to learn that teaching was not on her “To Do” list in 1972, when she graduated from Lander College. Her well-rounded education included a major in English and enough hours for minors in biology, psychology, sociology, art and physical education.
The bug for teaching did not bite until 1974, while she was finishing a Master’s degree in English/Education at the University of South Carolina. Margaret taught for both North Greenville College and Greenville Technical College teaching advanced grammar and British literature in their college transfer programs. While teaching a full load in the evenings on the college level, she also maintained a position through Title I at Tigerville Elementary School in grades K-3. With a special interest in reading, Margaret proceeded through a study program and practicum under the tutelage of the noted Dr. Thomas Cloer at Furman University. These additional hours plus a course or two from Clemson gave her a Master’s + 30 on the educational scale.
Armed and “dangerous” Margaret undertook the reading program for the “terminally ill,” as Dr. Cloer affectionately called those who had no reading skills at the high school level. Margaret taught reading, English, and life skills to grades 9 – 12 at J.L. Mann High School in Greenville, SC. In 1986, she was recruited by the principal at Travelers Rest High School (located just north of Greenville) to teach senior English. Delighted with the opportunity to work in that area known as “the dark corner,” Margaret was excited to establish her mark at this high school, notorious at the time for its excessively high dropout rate. Enthusiasm for her subject and the well-being of her students kept her motivated, as she guided her protégés through a difficult subject that enabled them to search for the meaning of life and helped them make their lives extraordinary.
After 23 years of teaching in Greenville, S.C., Margaret married Al Walker and moved to Columbia. Working with her husband enabled Margaret to travel the country and become involved in the speaking/training profession. With education as her background, she has witnessed the demise of teacher morale and respect for the educational system on a national level. In an effort to resurrect the spirit of community involvement in education, Margaret conducts workshops and seminars that use instruments for defining specific profiles which gives immediate feedback and application to the participants in a program called, “The Art of Getting Along and Working Together More Effectively"; Understanding Yourself & Others"; "Using Stories to Teach." ·
These programs utilize communication tools, which open the doors to greater understanding of self and others to build and maintain each individual’s sense of personal worth and self-esteem in the work environment. Any environment that provides positive reinforcement of the values cherished by our society, where employees feel safe, secure in their positions, and rewarded for their efforts is guaranteed to show marked improvement. Combined with a message of hope and encouragement, morale and respect are regained. That is what Margaret helps people accomplish.
In addition, Margaret speaks to women’s groups using her gift of humor, her enthusiasm and her energy to encourage and uplift them. Through humorous examples, stories and exercises, she helps women identify their strengths and to be more excited about life.
For someone like Margaret Walker with a vision for the betterment of education, one might be surprised to learn that teaching was not on her “To Do” list in 1972, when she graduated from Lander College. Her well-rounded education included a major in English and enough hours for minors in biology, psychology, sociology, art and physical education.
The bug for teaching did not bite until 1974, while she was finishing a Master’s degree in English/Education at the University of South Carolina. Margaret taught for both North Greenville College and Greenville Technical College teaching advanced grammar and British literature in their college transfer programs. While teaching a full load in the evenings on the college level, she also maintained a position through Title I at Tigerville Elementary School in grades K-3. With a special interest in reading, Margaret proceeded through a study program and practicum under the tutelage of the noted Dr. Thomas Cloer at Furman University. These additional hours plus a course or two from Clemson gave her a Master’s + 30 on the educational scale.
Armed and “dangerous” Margaret undertook the reading program for the “terminally ill,” as Dr. Cloer affectionately called those who had no reading skills at the high school level. Margaret taught reading, English, and life skills to grades 9 – 12 at J.L. Mann High School in Greenville, SC. In 1986, she was recruited by the principal at Travelers Rest High School (located just north of Greenville) to teach senior English. Delighted with the opportunity to work in that area known as “the dark corner,” Margaret was excited to establish her mark at this high school, notorious at the time for its excessively high dropout rate. Enthusiasm for her subject and the well-being of her students kept her motivated, as she guided her protégés through a difficult subject that enabled them to search for the meaning of life and helped them make their lives extraordinary.
After 23 years of teaching in Greenville, S.C., Margaret married Al Walker and moved to Columbia. Working with her husband enabled Margaret to travel the country and become involved in the speaking/training profession. With education as her background, she has witnessed the demise of teacher morale and respect for the educational system on a national level. In an effort to resurrect the spirit of community involvement in education, Margaret conducts workshops and seminars that use instruments for defining specific profiles which gives immediate feedback and application to the participants in a program called, “The Art of Getting Along and Working Together More Effectively"; Understanding Yourself & Others"; "Using Stories to Teach." ·
These programs utilize communication tools, which open the doors to greater understanding of self and others to build and maintain each individual’s sense of personal worth and self-esteem in the work environment. Any environment that provides positive reinforcement of the values cherished by our society, where employees feel safe, secure in their positions, and rewarded for their efforts is guaranteed to show marked improvement. Combined with a message of hope and encouragement, morale and respect are regained. That is what Margaret helps people accomplish.
