Anne Lack taught English and Art for twenty years at East Avenue and
retired last year. She is an exceptional teacher and a very good friend, as well.
Teaching is a process which never really ceases, as the following e-mail message Anne Lack
recently sent me illustrates again. I think you will enjoy
reading one teacher's TRUE story. Not surprisingly, this particular story reminds me of
Elda Montgomery, and I want to share it with you.
Jim Nash
:-)
Jean Thompson stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very first
day of school and told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at
her pupils and said that she loved them all the same and that she would treat them all
alike. But she realized 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 unkempt, and that he
constantly needed a bath. And Teddy was unpleasant. It got to the
point during the first few months of school that she would actually take delight in
marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold Xs and then marking
the F at the top of the paper. 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, but she put Teddy's off until last. When Mrs. Thompson
opened Teddy's 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 practices
good manners...he is a joy to be around." His second-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy
is an excellent student and is well-liked by his classmates, but he is now 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 terribly difficult for 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fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in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 often and
has become a discipline problem."
By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem, but Christmas was coming fast.
The day before the holiday vacation began she was suddenly forced to focus on Teddy
Stoddard. The children brought her presents, all in beautifully wrapped, bright paper with
ribbons, except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in a heavy, brown paper 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 only one-quarter full of cologne. Mrs. Thompson stifled the
children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on one
wrist, and dabbed some of the perfume behind her other wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed behind
just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to
smell."
After the children left, Mrs. Thompson cried for at least a half-hour.
On that very day, Mrs. Thompson quit teaching reading, writing, math, history, and speaking. Instead, she began to teach children. Jean Thompson paid particular attention to one student they all called "Teddy." As she worked with Teddy, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. On days there would be an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the end of the year Teddy had become one of the most conscientious children in the class, and Jean Thompson had to admit she had become fond of Teddy even though she had once vowed to treat all of her children exactly the same.
A year later she found a note under her classroom door, from Teddy,
telling her that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his favorite.
Then 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 that Mrs. Thompson was still his favorite
teacher of all time! Four years after that, Jean Thompson got another letter, saying that
while things had been tough at times, Teddy (now Ted) stayed in school and would be
graduating from college with the highest of honors. And, once again, he assured Mrs.
Thompson she was still his favorite teacher!
Four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time Ted explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that Jean Thompson was still his favorite teacher but that 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. Dr. Stoddard said he'd met a woman and was 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 pew usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Jean Thompson sat in that pew, and she wore the bracelet with several rhinestones missing. And you can bet that on the special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like... well, just like the way Teddy remembered his mother smelling on their last Christmas together.
THE MORAL: You NEVER can tell what type of impact you may have on
another's life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact in your venture
through life. Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400.
It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever part of the
balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Most people would draw out
every cent. Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, this bank credits
you with 86,400 seconds. Every night the account writes off, as lost, whatever time you
have failed to invest in a good purpose. This account carries over no balance. This
account allows no overdraft. Each day opens a new account for you. Each night burns the
remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no
going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow." You must live in the
present on today's deposits. Invest your time so as to get from it the utmost in health,
happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today
and each day thereafter!
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a pre-mature baby
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a daily wage laborer with kids to feed.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the coach of a Super Bowl team.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of one FRACTION of a SECOND, ask the person who just won a Gold Medal
in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have to live! And treasure it more because
you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And
remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow a mystery. Today is a
gift...that's why it's called THE PRESENT!
This page last updated on May 14, 1998.
Copyright © 1997, 1998 Hammond Family Network
