An Interview with Mr. Ingram

Mena Alchi | April 8, 2024 | The Spring Supplemental

As Stanton College Preparatory School students look forward to the upcoming school year, some may be eager or anxious to meet different teachers. Some students approach their peers and ask for their individual experiences with specific teachers, inquire about their teaching methods, workload, or even late work policies. Oftentimes, they learn their teacher is both inspiring and knowledgeable about their subject area. One prominent teacher who attempts to inspire students to think critically and develop an active voice within his classroom is Mr. Steven Ingram, who currently teaches Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate students in grades 10 to 12 in subjects such as Strategies for Success, Theory of Knowledge, SAT Test Prep, and AP Art History.

While teaching Art History at the University of California, Mr. Ingram developed an interest in copyright legislation. Eventually, he enrolled in law school at the University of California and worked at a law firm named Consumer Attorneys of California, where he advocated for about 3,000 plaintiff attorneys. They brought lawsuits against large corporations and lobbied for legislation to support those attorneys in courts of appeal and the California Supreme Court before arriving at Stanton in 2013. 

“While I was in California, I substituted for a few months for a dear friend who had a family emergency,” said Mr. Ingram. “That experience [led me to take] a leave from the law practice, and [it] interested me in teaching [at] the high school level.” 

Substituting inspired Mr. Ingram’s retirement plan, where he chose a more active career in teaching. He wanted an opportunity to interact one-on-one with students who engage in higher-order thinking. While going through the process of becoming a certified teacher, he intended to become a unique asset to students, guiding them in their college decisions and enabling them to ask questions about realistic college life expectations. 

As high school students prepare to enter their dream college or university, they will have the chance to switch their majors, like Mr. Ingram, who transitioned from Pre-Medical to Art History at the University of Michigan. The change not only motivated him to take college more seriously but also led him to meet his beloved wife, Jacqueline, who has since passed away. 

“I met my wife [in a library] by coincidence. My first encounter with [Jacqueline] had much to do with her smile and French accent,” said Mr. Ingram. “Her serious side became clearer when it took me a while to impress her and one way [of doing that] was to start becoming a more serious student. She opened a whole new door [to] my social life and led me to become [more refined].” 

Reflecting on Mr. Ingram’s journey highlights the individual hurdles many students face in their academic pursuits. Yet, his experience is just one example among many. On an average school day, multiple students may encounter hardships or struggles, evoking a sense of burnout or fatigue. Students are prone to assuming teachers do not understand how hard it is to balance schoolwork with the rest of their lives. There has also been a constant stereotype that some teachers do not understand what it is like to be a teenager; however, Mr. Ingram tries to take full notice of each student individually. 

“The thing that interests me most [about high schoolers] is the stage of life they are at because you can potentially have an important impact for a few months in the lives of young people, who are developing and emerging as young adults,” said Mr. Ingram. “You [won’t] provide all the answers, but you can be helpful, and when you are an older person, it gives you a great deal of satisfaction in looking forward to the strength of the next generations coming in.” 

At Stanton, every student is recognized as an individual learner with a variety of skills, and Mr. Ingram communicates with his students accordingly. He studies and reads about advancements in education systems across the United States, attempting to adjust his classroom correspondingly. He also recognizes the importance of teachers keeping an open mind to learning. 

“You constantly have to be a student yourself,” said Mr. Ingram. “I take courses in the summer, and I read as much as I can [because] I never want to be unprepared.” 

Along with regularly seeking to improve his classroom, Mr. Ingram also sponsors numerous activities and clubs at Stanton. Several of these clubs include Law Club, Ethics Bowl, Chess Club, Geography Club, and Jewish Student Union. Additionally, he travels to Jacksonville elementary schools, such as Hendricks Avenue and Seabreeze, with Stanton students who have volunteered to speak about the importance of social justice and its role around the world. 

“Essentially, my choice of sponsoring clubs is [primarily driven by ensuring that] there are students who join together with a common interest,” said Mr. Ingram. “Secondly, Law Club and Ethics Bowl originate out of my legal profession work, so I [aim to guarantee] that we [consistently represent] Stanton in academic competitions. For community outreach, roundtables, and elementary schools, I believe [it is] important for any Stanton student to [step] outside themselves, think [innovatively], and utilize their intellect to help others.” 

Throughout Mr. Ingram’s educational profession, he has consistently strived to foster a relaxed environment for his students. He has developed a stance of neutral respect, encouraging students to work hard while also empathizing with their adversities. 

Before a lesson, Mr. Ingram asks his students, “What is happening in the world today?” While a student is never obligated to raise their hand, he believes everyone should find a way to keep up with current events, whether they are local, national, or global. Nevertheless, he also acknowledges the importance of listening to his students and having meaningful connections and conversations with them. 

“I try to be a good listener and get information from them each day to figure out how to mold lessons [in] the most effective way,” said Mr. Ingram. 

While upperclassmen at Stanton may get nervous to speak about their new life after high school, Mr. Ingram is always prone to sharing his personal high school and college stories with his students. Everyone experiences life differently and he realizes the path students seek is always changeable.

“You need to humanize growing up and sometimes students will see older people as a finished product, and they [don’t] understand that everybody went through being a [teenager],” said Mr. Ingram. “I think you need to provide perspective to help students feel better about themselves, knowing that you can go through highs and lows and still come out great in the end.” 

Since the beginning of the school year, Mr. Ingram has maintained a small journal, jotting down noteworthy aspects about each student. As the year concludes, he crafts a personalized letter for every student in his classes. This practice allows him to grasp his students’ distinctive traits, fulfilling a desire expressed by many students when interacting with their teachers.

“If we ask students to write essays and take tests, they should know we are paying attention to them throughout the eight months,” said Mr. Ingram. “Anytime you cannot, at the end of eight months, write a brief note acknowledging your experience with them, I think you are missing out on an important opportunity.”

Though Mr. Ingram hopes students take away something from his lessons by the end of class, he still finds it vital to go around and ask students what they learned that day from their other classes. By doing this, he seeks to comprehend and appreciate the students’ responses for their honesty, while also perceiving their individual struggles in other subjects.

Whether students recognize it or not, teachers also learn from their students. Many teachers currently at Stanton have also undergone tough experiences for years, so they aim for their students to take a lesson, goal, or skill from their class and apply it in the world. 

By the end of the school year, several teachers hope their students will take something away from their classes, but Mr. Ingram hopes to demonstrate that this generation has strong voices to assert their experiences and expressions. He is eager to witness how he has prepared his students to approach complex life-situations and the problems that surround us. 

“They should believe in themselves and remember that the hard work you are doing now will make life so much easier for you later,” said Mr. Ingram. 

At last, he has come to value and admire the work Stanton students put into their academic careers. He witnesses the elevated level of competition at school but has also come to treasure students who assist one another, rather than only considering their own best interests. 

 “I [prefer] seeing the [prominent] level of collaboration [rather than competition],” says Mr. Ingram. “Competition is good, and in a way, academics are the varsity sports of Stanton, but too much competition for grades clouds out the important skill to take to college, [which would be] being able to collaborate and work with groups.” 

Although the yearning for academic validation is persistent within Stanton, Mr. Ingram attempts to address how Stanton’s level of competition is not the highest they will encounter in their lives. He expects them to grasp the idea that college will present them with more obstacles and struggles, but they will be prepared to withstand them, as Stanton itself has shaped them to overcome such challenges.