Walking into this class crafted my own demise…I thought. What I had initially generalized to be an inescapable nightmare of an English class actually turned out to be one of the most enjoyable experiences of my entire high schooling, and my gratitude extends beyond words. I’m deeply indebted to Mrs. Valentino. Your honesty used to stun me, but now it’s one of the biggest things that I respect about you. I missed out on this bluntness in my past English teachers, and I’ll miss it in my future ones. I looked forward to your teachings everyday solely for your unpredictable nature. Standing on the chair, calling a sword phallic, and shouting, “it’s always the Russians”, made the class more than tolerable, but something to actually look forward to every morning. You were one of, if not the most, impactful teachers I have ever encountered. Even if it’s shaming us, our interactions with you are never meaningless. You go out of your way to provide an immersive experience for your students...