Friday, April 1, 2011
Scales!
My fate is sealed!
We were talking about Hoover Dam in class. I got interrupted 5 times in a row bam, bam bam. I got frustrated! To lighten the mood I jokingly asked my class if I should shoot myself or die a slow painful death being a teacher? Cute little 2nd grader Ashley smiled and told me to die the slow painful death as a teacher. My fate is sealed.
Monday, March 28, 2011
High Priest Quorum Spotlight
When Bruce was four years old he got burned from a gas tank explosion. He received third degree burns over fifty percent of his body. It took a long time for the burns to heal but the tender mercies of the Lord blessed him to heal completely leaving minimal scars.
Bruce’s family was not active in the church but he was blessed with good friends who were active. In Junior High his friends coaxed him and begged him to attend church. His family was not poor by any means but Bruce did not have clothes to wear to church. One day his friends gifted him with a necktie and a “church shirt.” Bruce attended church with his friends and began his activity in the gospel.
During Bruce’s high school years the Hager family was plagued with a series of unexpected problems. The father died of cancer, the mother was in a car accident that left her unable to work, another brother died in a drowning accident and his younger brother was diagnosed with diabetes. During this time Bruce totally absorbed himself in school and church. These were great places of solace for him. He was a seminary officer, yearbook photographer, manager for the basketball team, was involved in speech and debate, elected as student body officer and was counselor to the priest quorum president. He was fun to be around and was well liked by his peers.
One fun and unusual thing from his high school years was his sister taught him how to knit. He entered a sweater in the Eastern Idaho State Fair and won the top prize with a purple rosette ribbon and a $500.00 scholarship from Idaho Wool Growers. That landed his picture on the front page of the Blackfoot News.
Bruce attended and loved Ricks College, and was called to serve a mission in the Japan Kobe Mission. This was a thrill for the small town Idaho boy. He loved every minute of his mission.
After his mission he came to Salt Lake City and worked at various jobs while attending the University of Utah. One job was working as a delivery person for a flower shop. His first duty every day was to go to 7-11 and get coffee for his co-workers. At the 7-11 was this really nice clerk. She helped him every day with the coffee. They had some small conversation and one day the clerk got uncharacteristically bold. She said to Bruce: “If you would ever like to go out with me, I would like to go out with you.” A week later Bruce asked her out. Six months later Bruce found himself walking out of the Salt Lake Temple in a downpour of rain with his bride on his arm and the bluebird of happiness on his shoulder. Charlotte tells everyone she met Bruce over coffee.
Eight years later after many years of prayer and blessings this couple was blessed with their Corbin who completes their lives. They claim their family is like a three-legged stool they truly need each other.
Bruce and Charlotte have lived in their home for 20 years. Bruce taught gospel doctrine for nine years. He served as Elder’s Quorum President and Ward Mission Leader. His current calling is a primary teacher and Webelos Leader. He works as a second grade teacher at Plymouth Elementary School. Bruce has a passion for public speaking and has received many awards for speeches he has given in Toastmasters.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Bucket List Wish
Friday, January 28, 2011
Remember to teach with respect and dignity
I have a math mapping class that was billed as being lots of fun. I was told that I would be getting so much information and that it would be helpful. I was lost with the new math book: the excessive amount of teacher manuals and the online teacher helps. I felt this class was just what I need.
I MADE sure to sign up for the class. I also knew that I was going to do the ESL endorsement. My closest friend and team member told me that I would regret doing so much but I ignored her. I wanted the information.
The teacher is young...I mean young! She has been teaching for 6 years and I estimate that she may be 27 or 28. She has an arrogance that consumes the room. Literally we go into her sterile classroom at 4:30 sharp and are held captive until 7:30 PM. We sit in the same desks as her second grade students. Each time we go to class we turn in our reflection papers and then sit as she overloads us with tons of paperwork. She reads to us for three hours straight. She reads and we turn pages.
Sadly the room is filled with wonderful teachers that would be a bevy of experience and knowledge. She does not allow any sharing, co-mingling of ideas, any movement, or group discussions. This instructor has used the word “retarded” in referring to blunders of students, she has put down men (my own personal ax to grind), she has shushed me directly and will stand and stare at the professional teachers attending this class and say “my turn” when some one does talk to a neighbor.
The #1 thing that I HAVE learned is to teach any and all people of any age with respect and dignity. I pray that I may always remember do so.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
My Second Grader and Me.
Bruce Hager
REFLECTION #2
I was walking into the mortuary and wondered if I had made the proper wardrobe choice. Everyone was dressed in dark grays and blacks. The women were dressed in blacks as well. There I was dressed in a red v-necked sweater and khaki slacks. Of course I have several suits to choose from but my choice was to wear what I had on. Upon entering all I saw were grown-ups everywhere. I felt awkward and uncomfortable but proceeded into the gigantic room. Then there she was my 2nd grade student in a pretty ruffled white dress. We saw each other at the same instant. She ran and embraced me as I bent over to receive her outstretched arms. She smiled amid her tear stained cheeks and exclaimed her joy in seeing me. She took me by the hand and never left my side. We did not stay in the formal line. Sasha pulled me in and out of people as she introduced me as her teacher: Mr. Hager. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and concerned grown ups smiled and warmly shook my hand. I was greeted and welcomed by all I encountered. Then we walked by the coffin where Sasha’s father’s young body lay in the casket. Not a word was said by Sasha or myself. I knew that this man had not seen Sierra in two years, had not sent a Christmas present, no birthday cards nor had even made a phone call.
A tragic accident had taken his life but for me there was a greater tragedy that had taken place while he was alive. I put that aside and stayed in the present. We sat in big chairs in the foyer. It was just my student and me. My second grader and me. The role of a teacher is not well defined but for me on that evening my role as a teacher was very clear and precious to me. I had never felt more valued, cherished and loved. I was important to one 7 year old student. That means everything to me.
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