A favorite activity of his students, Mr. Lehman uses a clever trick to engage his sophomores. This so-called trick is actually a strategic scavenger hunt. 

The scavenger hunt sends students around the school searching for certain items related to a novel the class is reading. However, a twist comes when Lehman delivers a “quiz,” not focused on the items themselves but on the journey students took to get the items,  reinforcing one of the main points of the novel.

Most students fail this “quiz,” but everyone has a good laugh about the “trolling” they fell for, and it remains a favorite memory of past students. 

As a staff member at Prior Lake High School, Lehman teaches English to primarily 9th and 10th-grade students. 

When asked what inspired him to teach, Lehman stated that he “developed a passion for education” after seeing adults in his life “miss out on things they would have been great at because they didn’t take school seriously.”

More specifically, Lehman expressed that he chose to teach English due to the “variety that comes along with it.”

In addition, Lehman remarked, “reading, writing, and speaking are three of the most important life skills you can develop,” and “English is one of the most practical subjects.”

During class time, Lehman enjoys forming connections with students. 

In fact, he states that his favorite part of teaching is the “social interactions” that take place, as well as “some of the humor that comes into play.” 

“The paper work is awful,” Lehman stated, but for him, building personal connections with students makes the job worth it. 

Eva Folger, a student in Lehman’s class, mentioned that she enjoys having him as a teacher. “He’s really funny, and I like how he teaches because he’s very into it.”

Outside of school, Lehman enjoys partaking in action sports, specifically rollerblading. 

He states how, since sixth grade, skating “is something I’ve always really enjoyed and am passionate about.” 

He even helped the city of Shakopee design a skatepark as a seventh grader. 

“Since then, I’ve continued skating,” Lehman states. “I was sponsored for a few years. I’ve done some digital media work. I have a Youtube channel.” 

Lehman’s interest in digital media and YouTube doesn’t come as a surprise; in addition to teaching English, he also teaches video production here at the high school. 

On top of that, Lehman owns his own skate shop. At the shop, he sells mostly wheels and bearings, but he also sells soft goods such as shirts and hats. 

“I also have my own little garage warehouse that I converted into an indoor skate park in Glencoe,” he states. 

Typically, the park remains closed to the public; however, people can make appointments to use the park by talking to Lehman. 

He describes this business as his “side hustle,” and although it doesn’t produce a crazy amount of income, he finds a lot of joy in operating it. 

From English teacher to professional skater, Lehman’s life contains many diverse aspects and interests. 

He serves as a role model for those who wish to pursue sports and academics, just as he does. 

When looking at people like Lehman, it becomes clear that through hard work and dedication, anything is possible.