Latecomer to education

RINGGOLD, Ga. -- Wayne Ingle says he was a "Joe Average" high school student, and the distinction of being Catoosa County's Teacher of the Year just makes him shake his head and smile.

"It was always what I wanted to be when I grew up," said Mr. Ingle, an English teacher at Heritage High School in Ringgold. "I just didn't follow it when I got out of school."

The Chattanooga native said it took 10 years of factory work before he set out to become a teacher, but once he did, he didn't look back. Now he's a 20-year veteran in Catoosa schools.

"What I gained from 10 years of working, it was a definite advantage when I started teaching," he said.

He graduated from college in 1988 and a year later landed a job teaching English at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School, he said.

"It was the best 18 years of my working life," he said. "I loved everything about it."

The move a couple of years ago to Heritage High was "just an extraordinary opportunity."

"I was asked to be part of a six-person team to help start a school," said Mr. Ingle, now the English department chairman.

While pleased that Heritage High gets some of the shine from his award, it's the teachers who came before him who did the hard work, he said.

Elementary school teachers, for instance, have the task of teaching children to read.

"I'm standing on the shoulders of giants," Mr. Ingle said.

He's now heading to the state Teacher of the Year competition, and Catoosa Superintendent Denia Reese is cheering him on.

"I appreciate Mr. Ingle's commitment to our students and his dedication to his career," Mrs. Reese said. "I am confident that he will represent our county well."

Heritage seniors Ariel Williams and Garrett Peace said Mr. Ingle is a strong influence in their lives.

"Not only has he taught me academically, but he has taught me many life lessons, too," Ariel said. "He's not only my teacher, he's a mentor."

Garrett said Mr. Ingle "definitely deserves" the honor.

"He's very passionate about his teaching," he said. "And it's obvious he cares about us."

Garrett said he plans to follow in his teacher's footsteps as an English teacher, too.

PERSONAL GLANCE

Name: Wayne Ingle

Age: 52

Occupation: High school English teacher

Education: Bachelor's in education, master's in English, both from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Something people don't know about me: "For the past six or seven years, I have attempted a different New Year's resolution each year. I've tried to up the ante every year."