I've had a few pretty good teachers over the years, but my English teacher this year was incredible in seriously every way you could imagine. I remember I was really fucking depressed to be in her Advanced class because all my friends were in the other classes, so I literally dreaded going to it everytime. Plus, I hadn't ever had her before—AND I HAD HER FOR ENGLISH EXTENSION ASWELL. The Advanced lessons seemed to drag on forever, and I remember I was especially sad because I used to enjoy English so much when my two close friends were with me. That aside though, she was actually a RIDICULOUSLY GOOD teacher; she was really engaging in the way she taught and always initiated intriguing class discussions. I grew to love it, and I ended up treasuring going to English dearly. I could always count on it to lift me up if I was having a particularly bad day because she just radiated good vibes. In addition, her feedback on my essay drafts were always so comprehensive and elaborate; she invested so much time into ensuring that we achieved he best marks possible. Anyways, so I was going through some mad shit (I kid you not, it was probably one of the TOUGHEST prolonged periods of my life) and I couldn't help but sleep in class. I was always exhausted as hell because this "mad shit" turned me into an insomniac, it was just so SO difficult to get through the night with all this going on. I remember one time we were watching a film that we were studying and I leaned my head on the table and fell asleep. She walked over, woke me up and sat next to me, then said "this isn't the first time you've fallen asleep in class. Why are you so tired?" I answered generically with 1am like it wasn't anything bad, but she encouraged me to sleep earlier anyway. I didn't think much of it, but after that pulling me aside after class on several occasions to talk, one time she was basically friendlily interrogating me for 20 mins straight. She asked me about my daily routine and my parents and everything and my answers were unintentionally depressing lol (cos thats just my life) and I think she got a bit concerned, because she warned me that she'd be checking up on me every now and then. Then, I started to get nervous around her incase she discovered something and it literally gave me so much anxiety to be around her. My sleeping habits continued in her classes, then a month or so later she pulled me aside once again much more assertively after I literally couldnt keep my eyes open in English, my fatigue had gotten that bad. At this point, I knew she suspected something so I just said I couldnt sleep and she asked why and I just said I was "worried". Long story short, she got it out of me and it was unquestionably the most vulnerable position I've ever been in in my entire life. I couldn't even look at her in the eye when I opened up to her because I was literally cringing at myself say it. I can't express how difficult that was. Like I was in disbelief that this was actually my life, that it was me. I avoided eye contact with her because it would've made me cry. I think I was in denial, in retrospect. She was so comforting and non judgemental about it, and she asked if it was okay for her to seek some help for me. I didn't know what she meant so I just said sure without thinking about it, and literally the next English period I get pulled out to the counsellor. Anyways, she gave me these mental health support cards and brochures and encouraged me to talk to her when I needed it; said she was always there for me. It was so kind of her, because she didn't just say it; but she acted on it. She went on maternity leave though unfortunately, so I don't have her going into the HSC but the day she left, I wrote her a 1000 word letter expressing my gratitude for her altruism. She took it, gave me a hug and told me to take care of myself, but man was it so hard to see her go. I literally thought I'd never see her again, but she sent me a long email a week later replying to my letter and it was so heartwarming to read her response. She encouraged me to seek help and persevere through the academic challenges, and it just meant so much to me. It was something I really needed in that dark time. I printed it out, and I still read it periodically when I'm having a bad day. I actually saw her in school last month with her baby, and I realised how much I genuinely missed her. Her baby is the luckiest one alive. That teacher's persistence in supporting me, even though it was probably inconvenient and exhausting for her, really kept me going in those days. It was nice to have someone care for me like that, when everyone else had no idea about the mad complexities of my life. No teacher will ever compare to the greatness she possesses. To this day, she is the only one to know of my darkest secrets. I hope to see her again soon.