I am married to a GENIUS

Nathan has officially finished his first quarter of school in Blue Creek. I know he won’t get on here and brag about himself, so let me tell you all what an AWESOME teacher Nathan is...

Everyone who has known Nathan for any amount of time can recognize he is a natural teacher. He loved most of his teaching classes at WSU and enjoyed all of the actual teaching experience he had before we moved out here. His students have always liked him, especially the boys, and he just seems to have a knack for working with kids during that awkward, energetic Jr. High stage. I have known all this about Nathan, but to see him be just as successful in a foreign country, away from all the comforts of home (like Smartboards and...I dunno...reliable electricity) has been so wonderful.

The kids here really like him, but it is obvious that he also has their respect. They enjoy stopping by the apartment for a mocha or to play video games (which says so much in itself) but they understand he is an authority figure. One day Nathan came home from school and told me about a student he had to discipline in class. The boy was acting out and being disruptive, so after more than enough warnings, Nathan informed him he had lost his recess privileges. Well, that did the trick and the boy calmed down. But not without first saying, "Fine, I don't like you anymore." To which Nathan replied: "I'm here to teach you, not to be your friend," The boy smiled (I wish you knew this kid) and announced in front of the whole class: "You can't make me not like you Mr. Lemanski!"

It's not just the kids who know how great he is either. The parents are very impressed with him. I have heard, "Nathan is absolutely an answer to prayer." "Nathan is just so good with the boys- and they are just drawn to him." "Oh, my son told me he is studying more this year just because he likes Mr. Lemanski so much!"

I am so proud of him and all of his hard work so far this year. Last week he went the extra mile and held a study session for his students in the empty room that serves as our backyard. The kids here have actual mid-term exams, like we had in college, and their marks on these exams count quite heavily toward their final grade in the class. He saw the kids needed extra help and so he just did what comes naturally- he taught them on his own time and his own turf! Most of the students took advantage of this opportunity and got quite a bit out of the extra study session. He even made iced mochas for the kids who brought their own ingredients!

He is intelligent and talented and darn good at what he does!