By Sonja Kruecker Green

CORRESPONDENT

One might say Nancy Walke’s first cherished book of poetry, A Child’s Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson, foreshadowed two of her great passions—gardening and teaching literature.   

However, Walke, a beloved and recently retired AHS English teacher who had been teaching in the district for more than 30 years, did not always know she wanted to teach. As an English major in college, there was an implicit assumption that teaching would be her most likely career move. But Walke wasn’t so sure. 

“I didn’t necessarily see myself as a teacher, and in a way, I almost thought, ‘I am not going to be a teacher because it is what everyone thinks I will be,’” she said. 

Given Walke’s desire to march to her own tune, it is not surprising that as a child she was attracted to books featuring heroines with strong independent spirits; book series like Little House on the Prairie and Nancy Drew mysteries. Later, reading Jane Austen’s Emma—again a heroine who is no shrinking violet—was a turning point for Walke, upon the revelation this was not a book about women getting married, but rather an astute social commentary.  Walke described her understanding of both Emma and Virginia Woolf’s essay, “A Room of One’s Own” as personally transformational. 

After college, Walke started a job as an advertising copywriter at the Harvard Coop. It was not until after a “series of unfortunate events and happy accidents” that she was led to teaching. She first came across an opportunity to substitute in North Andover. She anticipated this being a temporary position but gradually found that she had an affinity for teaching and was eventually given a permanent substitute position at the high school in North Andover. Later, there was an opening at a small private school where she taught math, science, and reading, and it was then that she came to the full realization that she wanted to pursue a teaching career. 

In time, she got her certification and master’s degree and was hired at Andover High School. She moved to the middle school level for 25 years until eventually returning to the high school. Over the course of her career, she helped scores of fledgling readers and writers take flight. 

When not nurturing her students,  Walke lovingly tends to her flower garden. In gardening, one must prepare the soil and sow the seeds, water, and weed, the same way a teacher must prepare a fertile environment for learning. Teachers plant the seeds in the form of ideas and nourish students with books.

She found that keeping rabbits away from her garden, though, is not always simple, and they must ultimately learn to coexist. In the same way, we must learn to coexist with modern technology; Walke believes it is vital that teachers help students develop a lifelong love for reading in the age of the internet. She suggested that what is important is that students understand reading itself is so very empowering regardless of the medium; it is transformational and, in  Walke’s words, it is “transportational.”  

“What is important is to, right out of the gate, get students to think about their identities as readers and the role that reading can play in their lives,” she said.  

She mentioned an activity she had her students do at the start of the school year, where they created a list of books that were significant to them; this helped the students to realize who they were as readers.  Walke also added, “You want to be giving students a variety of experiences in the classroom” in order to ensure students are engaged. 

 Walke will miss teaching but is looking forward to tackling the pile of “books in waiting” on her nightstand and having more time for gardening. She would love to do more traveling and mentioned that Ireland is definitely top on her list. 

As the Roman scholar and consul Cicero noted, “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”

Three Questions with Ms. Walke

What books are currently on your nightstand?

 “Gardening books, some Barbara Pym books, and ‘a lot of books in waiting.’”

If you could have a picnic with 4 writers, dead or alive, who would they be? 

     “Jane Austen, Barbara Pym, Rachel Carson, and Harper Lee.”

Is there one piece of literature that you particularly enjoyed discussing with students?

“The Giver, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, 1984, Night, and Frankenstein all sparked very insightful discussions among students.”