Taking Grades | About The Author

North Carolina is my home, always has been, always will be.  I live in Conover, a small town located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

My first love is teaching, and I spent thirty happy years (1965-1995) as a middle school language arts teacher.   After retiring from the classroom, I decided to pursue my long-time dream of writing teaching materials professionally.  Along came my company, Taking Grades (1997), the World Wide Web, some extremely sharp learning curves, and my dream grew into a reality.

When I begin a new writing project, I am transported back to my own classroom where twenty-five or so sixth graders sat (sort of) staring and waiting for me to do something that registered near the top of the spectacular scale.    I also remember the wonderful feeling of being ready for the challenge!   It’s that confidence that I strive to write into every novel teaching pack by providing a convenient, ready-to-use, motivating, jam-packed resource for today’s super busy teachers and their sitting, staring, and waiting students.

Ask anyone who knows me.  Children and animals have always been my top two passions.  During my teaching years, I served as secretary and president of the local humane society.  There has always been at least one cat on my lap and a few others circling in a holding pattern.

On the internet I am known as Margaret at Taking Grades, but in the community I am known as The Bird Lady.  There is a good explanation.

The same year I began writing, I also developed an interest in wildlife rehabilitation.  Today I am a fully licensed rehabilitator, specializing in orphaned baby songbirds.  From April to the end of August I take in around 150 little ones, raise them to adults, and release them back into the wild.  For about five months of the year, my home office does double duty as a baby bird nursery.

I am withholding this information from the cats!