After French teacher Erica Davis welcomed her second child, native French speaker Nathalie Laborde stepped in to sub for about six weeks.

“My teaching style is very visual because I move a lot,” she said. “Since I’m a native speaker I have to write on the board.”

She was raised and educated in Fouluse, France.

“I lived and worked in Scotland, Kenya, Italy, and Maryland,” Laborde said.

Laborde’s husband is in the Air Force, and that’s how she ended up in Montana four years ago.

“I like it here a lot, but the food in France is good and I love stinky cheese,” she said. “A lot of food here is made in a box, and the food over in France is a lot healthier.”

 Laborde has had much feedback from the students, and she said she really enjoys her teaching experience at CMR.

“They’ve been great and I feel welcomed. I didn’t see problems with the transitions, and I have this opportunity to teach students my language that I grew up with,” Laborde said.

She also said that there is always something new, and it’s never boring. She likes interaction a lot.

“I have the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree here in the states,” Laborde said. “When you go from language to language, don’t try to translate differently. You have to think differently. Some kids are curious to take the language and you have to make sure you like it. You have to have some form of attraction.”

The challenge of teaching for her is that it is pushing her to do better every day, she said. 

“I love it here, and the students are great to the staff,” she said. “It’s a wonderful experience and hopefully I can come back here and sub.”

French teacher Erica Davis is said to be coming back to CMR in mid-May.