One motto at St. Bernard is “Old Teachers never die. They become Saints.” This couldn’t be more true as Margaret Hinson, a thirty-four year veteran joins the faculty at the Prep School. Hinson declares she was definitely born to teach, and accepted a position at the prep school teaching English to the Freshmen and Junior classes.
As a child, Hinson was a California girl and describes herself as an ex- army brat. “I have lived all over the US and Europe. My first three years of high school were completed in Germany, and I graduated my senior year in Kansas."
While attending Auburn University, she married Jim Hinson and started a family. In 1978 Hinson graduated from the University of South Alabama with a degree in Secondary English and then earned a graduate degree in Secondary English and Special Education with a concentration on working with emotionally disturbed adolescence.
She was the first student to be named Secondary Student Teacher of the Year at the University of South Alabama, and has been nominated teacher of the year three times at two different schools. In 1998, she was awarded the Parent Teacher Student Association of Mobile- Secondary Teacher of the Year for Mobile County. In 2004 she was named Wal Mart Teacher of the Year for North Mobile County in Alabama.
Having taught in mostly inner city schools, Hinson became acquainted with St. Bernard Prep as a substitute teacher last year. “St. Bernard is certainly a lot different from inner city schools,” Hinson said. “While in Mobile, I mostly taught AP Seniors, and really enjoyed the students who had the drive. At St. Bernard the students have that drive.”
Hinson has enjoyed the atmosphere at St. Bernard, but really thinks uniforms make such a difference in the classroom. “I was in Mobile when we first went to uniforms, and saw first- hand what a difference it makes in classroom performance. What I like most at St. Bernard is the special bond the students have with one another. The older students reach out to the 9th and 10th graders, and I don’t see the problems with discipline that I have seen in the public schools.”
Fr. Joel Martin, Headmaster at St. Bernard Prep, said he looks forward to Mrs. Hinson joining the faculty, and sharing her expertise. “I have watched her in the classroom as a sub, and I have to agree, she was born to teach.”
The Hinson’s moved to Cullman in 2010 and has two grown children, and five grandsons. Andy and his wife, Sarah have two boys, Joseph and James, and are anxiously awaiting the adoption of their little Chinese girl at the end of September. Their daughter, Christine is married to Doug Gordon, a commander in the Navy, who is expected to build and become the captain the Navy’s newest nuclear sub - The USS North Dakota. They have three sons, Chris, Nick, and Ben.
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