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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much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 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 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! "
P.S. The Stoddard Cancer Wing at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines is named after
Teddy Stoddard.