Teddy Stoddard
(author unknown)
There is a story many years ago of an elementary
teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in
front of her 5th grade class on her 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, that 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 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"Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in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 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 which 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, 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
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,
M.D.
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."
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