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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 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, 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is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.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 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 the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children 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, second 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, |