A Teacher's
Story
True or not -
who cares, How many times do we "misjudge" by appearance?
Her name
was Mrs. Thompson. As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very
first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked
at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was
impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little
boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and
noticed that he didn't play well with the other children. His clothes were
messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It
got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his
papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big
"F" at the top of his papers.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson
taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put
Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a
surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child
with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...He is a joy
to be around."
His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an
excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his
mother has a terminal illness and life at home is a struggle."
His third
grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death had been hard on him. He tries to
do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will
soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
Teddy's fourth grade
teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in
school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself.
She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents wrapped in
beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was
clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.
Mrs.Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents.
Some
of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some
of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter-full of perfume. But
she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet
was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.
Teddy
Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs.
Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mother used to."
After the
children left she cried for at least an hour.
On that very day, she quit
teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach
children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked
with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the
faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the
smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the
children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."
A year
later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was
still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Six years went by before
she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school,
third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole
life.
Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things
had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would
soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson
that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he
explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little
further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher
he ever had. But now his name was a little longer the letter was signed,
Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet
another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be
married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was
wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that
was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.
Of course, Mrs. Thompson
did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones
missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered
his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.
They hugged each other,
and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs.Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson
for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing
me that I could make a difference."
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her
eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were
the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to
teach until I met you."
Dear Teachers, remember - that wherever you go, and whatever you
do, you will have the opportunity to touch and/or change a person's outlook.
Please try to do it in a positive way.
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