Ingram pens books about high school and more

It is Back  to school for Lord Botetourt High School English teacher Bruce Ingram . He teaches 9th and 10th grade English and Honors students as well as a Creative Writing class. He has a number of outdoor sportsman related books in Virginia and even a cookbook on Living the Locavore Lifestyle he wrote with his wife, Elaine. His last three titles however are fictional stories about high school and the life of students. Ingram has written 9 books total.

The high school books are titled, 9th Grade Blues,10th Grade Angst, and his latest which he finished just the end of July and yet to be published called, 11th Grade Stress. 

Ingram has taught at Lord Botetourt since 1987. “Thirty-one years on the job in Botetourt and I still recall students by where they sat in my classroom,” he said with a chuckle. He taught in a couple of other school divisions prior to Botetourt, so he has been at the teaching  job for almost 40 years.

He has used 9th Grade Blues as a teaching text. “Students identify with the characters,” said Ingram. He encourages his Creative Writing students to help him edit his manuscripts prior to publication so they can gain real world experience.

Always a prolific writer, he began writing magazine articles in the 80s for the likes of Outdoor Life and Field and Stream. He has been frequently published in Virginia Wildlife magazine among many others. Currently as a mini-farmer of two flocks of chickens, he has been writing articles on the art of raising chickens.

He also specializes in units during his teaching year with units on decades that are cross curriculum and even adds classic films to the mix of interests.  He also introduces topics like compare and contrasting world religions for instance. All in accordance with SOL standards.

With the new school year approaching, Ingram is gearing up to assist his students with experiences in literature, grammar and spelling from a seasoned perspective as well as that of an author.

School begins in Botetourt County on August 8.