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 schoo
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 gradeteacher 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"Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.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 stifle 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 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, 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 it along
 

Jan Thompson
University of Minnesota
Department of Economics
271 19th Avenue South
1035 Mgmt/Econ Bldg.
Minneapolis  MN  55455