The Teacher
@amberbambers23 (2615)
United States
October 25, 2006 5:41pm CST
Jean Thompson stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very first day
of school in the fall and told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she
looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all the same, that she
would treat them all alike. And that was impossible because there in front
of her, slumped in his seat on the third row, was a little boy named Teddy
Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't play
well with the other children, that his clothes were unkept and that he
constantly needed a bath. And Teddy was unpleasant. It got to the point
during the first few months that she would actually take delight in marking
his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then marking the F at
the top of the paper biggest of all.
Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, no one else seemed to enjoy him,
either. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review
each child's records and put Teddy's off until last. When she opened his
file, she was in for a surprise. His first-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a
bright, inquisitive 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, "Teddy continues to work hard but 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Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show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. He is tardy and could become a problem."
By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem but Christmas was coming fast. It
was all she could do, with the school play and all, until the day before the
holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on Teddy Stoddard. Her
children brought her presents, all in beautiful ribbon and bright paper,
except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper of a
scissored 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
cologne. She stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty
the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume behind the
other wrist.
Teddy Stoddard stayed behind 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 speaking.
Instead, she began to teach children. Jean Thompson paid particular attention
to one they all called "Teddy." As she worked with him, his mind seemed to
come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. On days
there would be an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne.
By the end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the
class and...well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had once
vowed to love all of her children exactly the same. A year later she found a
note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that of all the teachers he'd
had in elementary school, she was his favorite.
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 his
favorite teacher of all time.
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
graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs.Thompson
she was still his favorite teacher.
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 his favorite
teacher but that 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 to be married. He explained
that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering...well,
if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew usually reserved for the
mother of the groom. And guess what, she wore that bracelet, the one with
several rhinestones missing. And I bet on that special day, Jean Thompson
smelled just like... well, just like the way Teddy remembered his mother
smelling on their last Christmas together.
THE MORAL: You never can tell what type of impact you may make on
another's life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact in your
venture thru life.
(forwardgarden.com)
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