Margaret Walworth
What classes do you teach at Anderson?
Elementary Education: EDU 345, EDU 346, EDU 247, EDU 445, EDU 421
When did you start teaching at AU?
2007
Why teach at AU?
I seek to serve God through my teaching at Anderson University. I love being able to pray with my students and my colleagues. I appreciate being able to openly discuss how to integrate our faith with every aspect of our our professions and our daily lives. I am grateful to be able to teach at a university that is intentionally Christ-centered. Why do I teach at Anderson University? Because God called me to this place.
Hobbies
Gardening, writing, therapy dogs
Notable achievements outside of discipline
I represented South Carolina in the 1980 Winter Olympics torch relay. One runner was chosen from each state to carry the Olympic torch. The Olympic flame was lit in Athens, Greece and flown to Ft. Langley, Virginia. Our team of runners carried the Olympic flame relay-style from Ft. Langley to Lake Placid, New York for the 1980 Winter games. It was an incredible experience.
People might be interested to know I...
As a member of S.C. Therapy Dogs, I helped to pilot the BARK program in our local schools. The BARK program brings therapy dogs into classrooms and schools so that children can read to the dogs. It has proven to be incredibly effective for struggling and reluctant readers. My therapy dog, Bear, has helped many children learn to love reading.
Places you've lived
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Niagara Falls, New York Greenville, South Carolina Athens, Georgia Savannah, Georgia
What do you find most enjoyable about working at Anderson University?
This would easily be the privilege of praying with my students and colleagues and the feeling of God's presence on the campus, in our classrooms, and in our academic meetings. While the academic and scholarly work at Anderson University is invigorating, it would be nothing without the shared faith of our administration, faculty, staff, and students.
What I wish prospectives students knew about my discipline or careers in my discipline.
Teaching is a profession that should be respected. It is a most challenging and gratifying profession. Teaching requires a depth of knowledge, critical thinking and innovation, a great deal of creativity, a passion for learning, and genuine humility. I wish prospective students could know the feeling one gets when a child first realizes he is a reader or a writer.
How would you describe your classes to someone who has never attended one?
I would hope that one would find my classes thought-provoking, engaging, and learner driven. I want my students to think, to question, and to become passionate about teaching and learning. There is prayer, laughter, opportunities for active participation, and much sharing in my classes.
Publications
Walworth, M. & Ward, D. (2012) Lessons Learned from the Belize Writing Project. Published in the Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina
Beatty, C., Feaster, S, Many, J., et al (2000). The Georgia Reading Endorsement. Published in the Georgia Journal of Reading., 25, 3-9
Walworth, M. (1991). Second grade pupils’ and teachers’ expressed perceptions of text and illustrations in selected picture books. (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Georgia)
Galda, L., & Walworth, M. (1990). Exploration and Discovery: Books for a Science Curriculum. The Reading Teacher