A Special Teacher

Jean Thompson stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very


first day of school in the fall and told the children a lie. Like most

teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all

the same, that she would treat them all alike. And that was impossible

because there in front of her, slumped in his seat on the third row,

was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.



Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't

play well with the other children, that his clothes were unkept and

that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy was unpleasant.



It got to the point during the first few months that she would

actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen,

making bold X's and then marking the F at the top of the paper biggest

of all. Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, no one else seemed to

enjoy him, either.



At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review

each child's records and put Teddy's off until last. When she opened

his file, she was in for a surprise. His first-grade teacher wrote,

"Teddy is a bright, inquisitive 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, "Teddy continues to work hard but 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Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't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. He is tardy and could become a problem."



By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem, but Christmas was coming

fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all, until the

day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on

Teddy Stoddard.



Her children brought her presents, all in beautiful ribbon and bright

paper, except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy,

brown paper of a scissored 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 cologne. She stifled the children's laughter when she

exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some

of the perfume behind the other wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed behind

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 speaking. Instead, she

began to teach children. Jean Thompson paid particular attention to

one they all called "Teddy."



As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she

encouraged him, the faster he responded. On days where there would be

an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the

end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the

class and...well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had

once vowed to love all of her children exactly the same.



A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her

that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his

favorite. 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 his favorite teacher of all time.



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 graduate from college with the highest of honors. He

assured Mrs. Thompson she was still his favorite teacher.



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 his favorite

teacher, but that 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 to be married. He

explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was

wondering...well, if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew

usually reserved for the mother of the groom. And guess what, she wore

that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And I bet on

that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like...well, just like

the way Teddy remembered his mother smelling on their last Christmas

together.



-- Author Unknown