If you would like to contribute to our Andover
Educational Fund it would be greatly appreciated. 100% of these much needed
funds goes to help assist Andover graduates in furthering their education.
Fifth Grade Teacher 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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and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 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) Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!
