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Little Teddy Stoddard
Taken from "Three Letters From Teddy"
by Elizabeth Silance Ballard
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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn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 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 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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