On the first day of class, I walked down to my unknown math class. All I heard was “This is your birthday song, it isn’t very long. Hey!” I walked in and Mr. Vento stood in the front of the class clapping his hands.
Mr. Vento, my North Shore Middle School eighth grade math teacher, is one incredible teacher, but most importantly, he is also a friend. Coming into class, I knew who he was and he knew me, due to past family members having him as a teacher.

Mr. Vento made his class energized before teaching math. I still remember doing Simon Says in some classes when he felt students were too tired to do anything. But that wasn’t the point. His point was to make every student feel ecstatic to learn math.
As the year went on, I struggled. Every morning, I would come early before school and we would sit down and he would help me through various math problems so I could pass his class. I look back on it and realize his passion was not just towards me, but towards everyone. In his eyes it was the student first and him second.
He’s a mentor and I would talk to him about anything. He would give me advice on what was to come later in life and how to handle it. When I say he is one of us, I mean he is. When I was a sophomore, a couple of my friends and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings with him and it felt like he was a part of our friend group. For example, he would just talk to us about what things to do and not to do in life.
This really showed me the person he truly is. His ability to relate to younger generations and interact with them goes such a long way.
I am nominating Mr. Vento for educator of the year because of his willingness to help in and outside of the classroom.