Mr. Vento 

I still remember the unbelievably uncomfortable position I was in, on the first day of seventh grade at North Shore Middle School.

There were four warm-up problems related to math on the board that I needed to do individually. My teacher began to call on students to do the problems on the board and there was one problem I forgot how to do. I kept my head down because I didn’t want to get called on, and of course that’s when I hear, “Alright, and Hudson why don’t you do number four for us on the board?”

“Uh, um I forgot how to do that problem,” I said while standing up awkwardly. 

Mr. Vento quickly reassured me it was alright and he would have someone else do the problem instead. 

From day one, Mr. Vento cared not only about me, but about all of the students he had. In the beginning, I didn’t care for him as a teacher, because his style and presence were unique and something I wasn’t used to. However, in just a few weeks, he grew on me, more and more. I quickly adapted and began to learn and appreciate his class. 

My favorite part about Mr. Vento’s class was his ability to find a balance between work and fun. Most teachers aren’t able to find a mixture or compromise to keep students engaged. For example, on Mondays, we would watch a movie trailer or trailers about new releases. It was a fun activity that engaged the class before doing work. 

Now, there was one day in particular that really stood out. Mr. Vento played a trailer that was a bit scarier than normal, but nothing too bad. Me, being the scaredy cat I was back in middle school, sat on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. Well, without my knowledge, Mr. Vento slowly creeped up behind me and right as the trailer climaxed, shouted right behind me. This spooked me so much I fell out of my chair and started laughing along with the rest of the class. 

It was times like these that made coming to Mr. Vento’s class special and fun. Most teachers don’t encompass a passion for learning while simultaneously allowing moments of fun to balance out the stress of school. 

Mr. Vento loves his job and exceeds expectations. It was refreshing to have a teacher like him because I’ve never had the chemistry or friendship like I had with Mr. Vento. He was definitely a once in a lifetime teacher, and my only wish is that I would have had him for more math classes. Thank you for everything Mr. Vento!