Originally from the cold climate of Saskatoon in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, Tara Smith has been a Special Education teacher at Oro Grande Elementary School for the past eight years. As a graduate of the University of Minot in North Dakota, Tara also has a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education.
Tara Smith serves as a Primary Resource Teacher at Oro Grande Elementary School
LHUSD#1.
Going the extra mile, Tara is also nationally accredited. “Achieving National Board Certification validates, to me, that the methods and strategies that I have chosen to incorporate within my classroom and with my students, have made a significant impact on their learning,” Tara tells us. National Board Certification is voluntary, but the advanced teaching credential goes beyond state licensure. It has national standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do, which consists of: written assessment of content knowledge, reflection on student work samples, video and analysis of teaching practices, and documented impact and accomplishments as a teaching professional.
“My favorite part of teaching is the daily interactions with the children and seeing them make progress. I am not only proud to be a teacher with the Lake Havasu Unified School District, but I am excited that my children get to experience and learn from all the dedicated and amazing teacher the district has.”
Tara lives in Lake Havasu with her husband, Kenneth, and two children, Noah and Mackenzie. Her favorite past times include spending time with her family and friends; hiking, camping, off-roading or just hanging out by the water.
A teacher at Starline Elementary School, Bridget Hagest teaches the 5th-6th Gifted Classes.
Bridget Hagest taught both 4th and 6th grade classes at Smoketree Elementary before moving over to Starline to teach the 5th-6th grade Gifted Classroom. Now in her tenth year of teaching, Bridget was born and raised in (Port Jefferson Station) Long Island, New York, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo. “I majored in Journalism, specifically Video Editing, and had a minor in Art. I moved to Burbank, California fresh out of college (because every East Coast girl’s dream is to move to the West Coast) to work in Hollywood. It didn’t take me long to realize that was NOT the place for me! I immediately started taking night classes and earned my MaEd and teaching certificate,” notes Bridget.
After obtaining her teaching certificate, Bridget had the opportunity to travel throughout Europe with her husband, finally settling down in Austria. “As it turns out, both my husband and I wanted to live in Lake Havasu; my husband builds and races jet skis, so it was a great fit.”
Bridget was first introduce to the National Board Certification program through Christie Olsen and Erin Eppler, both of whom spoke highly of the process. “I left the meeting feeling so inspired and knew I had to do it for myself–despite the fact that I wasn’t even a classroom teacher at the time! The process took a long time, and it was difficult. There were times when I was very frustrated, but I am glad I didn’t give up. Being able to say that I am a Nationally Board Certified teacher means a lot to me. I know there are not a lot of people out there who have voluntarily gone through this extremely challenging process, so I am proud of what I have accomplished.”
Bridget is passionate about teaching and notes that her absolute favorite thing about being a teacher is earning her students’ trust and knowing that she makes learning fun for them. “I know that my students enjoy coming to school, and that means a lot. And because they trust me, they are willing to do what I challenge them to do.” Bridget knows she makes a difference with her kids and recounts a time when she was pulled out of her classroom to go to the principal’s office. “She told me she had some bad news. One of my former students had been in an accident on the way to school. He couldn’t speak at the time, so he scribbled on a piece of paper in the ambulance: “Call Mrs. Hagest.” THAT is why I teach. I KNOW I make a difference!”
Bridget has two kids, ages seven and nine, that she absolutely loves hanging out with, especially working on crafts and other fun projects. But she admits that she spends a lot of her time at school, “I am here most afternoons, and usually every weekend. But honestly, between school, the kids’ soccer/theatre/clubs, and being a mom–cooking/cleaning/shopping–it doesn’t leave me much time for other hobbies! My kids are my world.”