I didn't know what separated a good teacher from a great teacher until I met one who, in my eyes, truly sets the standard. Ms. Vittiglio is everything I believe an educator should be. She's "smart,", not only in the sense that she'll have prepared you wonderfully for college-level English by year's end (which she undoubtedly will), but also in the sense that you couldn't put a lie past her if you tried. She's witty, enthusiastic, and a vibrant presence at the chalkboard on a day when you might need it, yet strict and devoted to the advancement of her students like I know no other teacher to be. However, of all the beautiful qualities she possesses, her kindness is what I have come to respect the most.
If you need somebody to talk to when things go pear-shaped, she's there with an ear or a shoulder, or both. When you lose your passport on a school trip to a foreign country, she's doing everything in her power to bring you home to your family on time. As a high school English teacher, she owes nothing but an education. It's going above and beyond the call of duty that makes her great.
-Rosa McGee
Senior, Francis Lewis High School