The Value of Affirmation ...
...Via my friend Chip Hedges

...... The teacher who quit teaching,

reading, and began to teach children.

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 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 willsoon 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"Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.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 was clumsily

wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from

the 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 racelet 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 Mum 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 the lie, that

she loved all 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 the 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 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."

..........................................................