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Last Visited: 2/5/2009
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.
...
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.
...
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.
...
They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson'sear, '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.
...
I didn't know how to teach until I met you.' (For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Doctor at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)