Caldwell teacher to colleague: Shut the door when you leave (2024)

I must admit that I have been anxious about this moment all year. A good man, a great father, an exceptional teacher and a fantastic colleague is retiring in a few days.

We have worked with each other for more than 20 years. I have had the opportunity to teach several of his children, and he has taught one of mine. We have lived life together, celebrating one another at various times and praying with one another amidst good and bad news.

We’ve both comforted and cajoled one another at various moments. He remains a staple in my teaching life. I am wondering what it is going to be like being at the high school next year without him.

A good teacher creates a legacy for his students, his colleagues and even for himself. Matt Ingram defines all three parts of an educational legacy. Over the years, he has demonstrated solid teaching by being able to take students to the front, right and sides of an issue without letting them know what his personal beliefs are. He strings them on from different avenues of thought and allows them to argue their own beliefs and defend them. Moreover, he is concerned about teaching in a way which leaves them something to think about each day.

Matt defines the idea that teaching is a ministry. Many times, I have watched him write a note to a student and put it on their desk. Whenever he writes one, it is heartfelt. One student years ago kept the note in front of her notebook because it meant so much to her.

I have witnessed this gentleman meet with a student at a local library branch to be a confidant and a mentor. Most importantly, this genuine individual enjoys celebrating with students when they have success. Conversely, he is often the first one there for consolation when students are struggling and in need of care.

Very few instructors are able to use their personal passions in a true and effective way. Over the years, Mr. Ingram has shared his love of nature when taking students on a trail cleanup as part of a club activity or shepherding students through their first construction experience while helping to build a Habitat for Humanity house. One very big aspect of his life is service above self. Some individuals use this as a cheap slogan to get out of it what they want. Not so with Matt. He serves for the joy of being able to serve and contribute to the community as a whole. His care and his ability to serve is inspirational to watch. Each year, he tries to complete a beautification project at the school. Whether creating a piece of art to hang on a wall or placing pictures of former students in the main hall, he is constantly thinking about making the school the best it can be.

This man is also the most effective prankster inside the walls of the school. One Christmas holiday, he wrapped all of my class desks in decorative paper. He loves to come into my room and turn my desks around and upside down. Recently, he enjoyed coming by my room and shutting my door. He denied it later, but I knew it was him. One of his proudest pranks involved the placing of about two feet of newspapers across the floor of my entire classroom. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have done some of the same things to him, including stealing one of his prized classroom artifacts and once wrapping his entire desk in Saran wrap.

One definition of colleague is fellow worker. Yes, this is Matt Ingram. For years, we served as co-chairs of the social studies department at South Caldwell High School. Even more important than that, we have talked almost every day about current events, social studies, history, lessons and, above all, life. He remains a great witness to me about what a great teacher and Godly man should be. He knows who he is, displays a solid inner faith and is an example to all who come in contact with him. I’m grateful we have laughed many more times than we have cried.

I am very happy for him and his retirement, but I am anxious for what the school will look like in his absence. Other good men will need to work hard to fill the void left in the wake of his exit.

Students deserve to be in the presence of good men and women. A teacher’s life is always constantly viewed and open. Students at South Caldwell High School, both past and present, are blessed because of the intentional presence of Ingram over the years. A teacher’s life rolls over into other lives, and there is no doubt his example will continue to do the same in all of us.

So, Ingram, shut the door when you leave. Make it a good and final shut. You are going to be missed by many. Your work over the years has made a profound difference in all who have had the pleasure of getting to know you. You have had an amazing teaching career. It is certainly a treasured gift to others.

Travel well, my friend.