I distinctly remember walking into your class on orientation day freshman year. It was Wednesday, August 5, 2015. I was so nervous and I don't think I said even a word. I came in and sat down, and I didn't look up until the bell rang. The sharp yelling of the bell filled my ears, I lifted my head and my eyes rose to see you. You stood in the front of the room smiling, and had a slight glint in your eyes. You introduced yourself and talked about what your class would be like this semester, sprinkling in some jokes and sarcastic comments. You talked about how you wanted all of us to succeed and you were willing to help us whenever we needed it so we could do our best. It was at that moment that I realized you weren't just going to teach me just what was listed on the syllabus you handed to me as I walked out of your class that day.

I truly just wanted to say thank you. For everything. The things that I have learned in your classroom are lessons I will never forget. And some of the most valuable things that you taught me, are things not listed in the course curriculum.

You taught me consonance and confidence.

You taught me pathos and perseverance.

You taught me hyperboles and hard work.

You taught me foreshadowing and fervor.

You taught me polysyndeton and passion.

You taught me characterization and courage.

You taught me to be myself and work for what I want in life. You believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. You set high expectations for me, which taught me that I can do great things if I believe in myself and my abilities. Thank you for your unconditional support and guidance. Thank you for the time you take out of your own life for your students. You are so underappreciated and you don't get nearly as much credit as you deserve. You always receive thanks during times like Teacher Appreciation Week, but anything I may do is never truly adequate, for you have given me a gift so great, I will never be able to repay it. You've given me back a love for school. For so long I would dread the early mornings and the seemingly endless classes followed by hours of homework and then going to bed, knowing the next day I would have to wake up and do the exact same thing over again. Some days I still felt asleep no matter how long I'd been awake, but I always looked forward to third block, and walking into the classroom, knowing that at least the next 90 minutes would make me smile. You took me under your wing and I'm beginning to realize more and more what an impact you've had on my life. No matter what was going on in your life you were always there with a smile and willing to help. I know there were some days that kids were so bad you don't want to deal with them, trust me I felt the same, but your attitude made all the kids want to come to class everyday. You have no idea how having you there for us all made such a difference to us. We felt like someone was there to help us be the best that we could possibly be.

I don't know if you realize, but you are a huge reason why I love to write. You taught me all about the process and that, no matter how painful it is, the end result is something beautiful. You taught me that anything I ever wrote would never be wrong and that there was no concrete "right way" to do almost anything. And without you I never would have shared my writing. I'm not a very outgoing person but you pushed and encouraged me to share my writing and now that I have, I could not be more thankful that I did. Without you, this letter wouldn't even be on this website.

Thank you for showing me again how much I love literature. Thank you for reading and re-reading my drafts. Thank you for always being honest, even if the truth hurt. Your honesty has shaped me into the author, and person I am today.

You did so much for me, even though it was never listed in your job description. You've taught me more about myself than I've been able to figure out on my own. And for that I am forever grateful. So thank you, for being more than just my freshman year English teacher.

Forever Grateful,

Heather