Teacher
Shannon Nicoletta Manns
I was very moved by this story. Please pass it on.
Nicoletta
Teacher
Her name was Mrs. Thompson. 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 not possible, 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 had 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teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in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 Mother 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, MD. 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."
Warm someone's heart today . . . pass this along.
Please remember that wherever you go, and whatever you do, you will have
the opportunity to touch and/or change a person's outlook please try to
do it in a positive way. "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet
when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
Nicoletta
Teacher
Her name was Mrs. Thompson. 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 not possible, 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 had 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 Mother 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, MD. 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."
Warm someone's heart today . . . pass this along.
Please remember that wherever you go, and whatever you do, you will have
the opportunity to touch and/or change a person's outlook please try to
do it in a positive way. "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet
when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."