Teachers can learn a lot as well!
As she stood in front of her 5th grade
class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like
most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the
same. However, 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 did not play well with the
other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a
bath.. In addition, 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 must be a struggle..'
His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death has 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teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.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 Mom used to.'
After the children left, she cried for at least an
hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, 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 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 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 honours. He assured
Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favourite teacher he had 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
favourite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer..... The
letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
The story does not end
there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had 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 at
the wedding in the place 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. Moreover, 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.'
Warm
someone's heart today. . . pass this along. I loved this story so very much.
Just try to make a difference in someone's life today, tomorrow… just 'do it'..
Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!
