Post by kanyon on Feb 10, 2006 20:20:08 GMT -5
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 withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.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 his 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 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 favorite 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."
> > (For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the
> > Dr. at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the
> > Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
> > Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along.
> > I love this story so very much, I cry every time
>I
> > read it. Just try to make a difference
> > in someone's life today? tomorrow? just "do it".
> > Random acts of kindness, I think they call it
> >
> > 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 his 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 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 favorite 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."
> > (For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the
> > Dr. at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the
> > Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
> > Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along.
> > I love this story so very much, I cry every time
>I
> > read it. Just try to make a difference
> > in someone's life today? tomorrow? just "do it".
> > Random acts of kindness, I think they call it
> >
