The Teacher

 

The Teacher

 

Here's a story which I would like to share with all of you, including the dearest teachers around the world (1st September here is our Teachers' Day).
I have read this story, both English and Chinese versions, few years ago.  I believe you might have read it before, too.
Stories like this always have a way of putting the right perspective on live and always touches my heart very deeply.

 

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 not kept 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Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.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.

THE MORAL: You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact in your venture through life.

 

老师

玛丽安是个国小五年级的老师，她的班上来了一位名叫迪克的转学生。

玛丽安老师第一眼，就很不喜欢迪克，因为他衣服肮脏、头发长长，身上还有一股臭味！

而功课，也是落後一大段，每次批改迪克的作业，心里就有点恼怒－「怎麽这麽笨，涂涂改改、写得乱七八糟！」所以玛丽安老师就用大红的笔，在迪克写错的地方一圈又一圈地画着！

当然，玛丽安老师未曾明说她对迪克的憎恶与讨厌，她只是不断地在作业簿上画着红色的大圈圈，也常在发作业簿时，听到其他同学对迪克的嘲笑与鄙视。

小迪克实在不知道老师为什麽不喜欢他？事实上，老师也不曾找过他谈话，更不曾到他家做家庭访问。

 

一晃眼，耶诞节到了，按照习俗，每个小朋友都会准备一份耶诞礼物给老师。那天，是耶诞节放假前的最後一堂课，小朋友都将包裹好的礼物放在教室里的耶诞树下，等待老师打开。玛丽安老师是「善解人意」的，她每打开一份精美漂亮的礼物时，脸上就露出惊讶、兴奋的表情，班上小朋友的尖叫声，也不断伴随着。

最後，小迪克的礼物，是用普通装三明治的褐色盒子包起来的，外表的包装，一看就很粗俗、简陋，上面还写着「迪克送给玛丽安老师的礼物」字样。当老师拿起这礼物时，全班都静默无声，专注地看老师打开，里面是什麽礼物？盒子一打开，里头有两样东西掉落桌上，一个是缺了几个小钻石的「人造水晶钻石手镯」，另一个，像是在廉价店里买的「只剩半瓶的香水」。

此时，小朋友传来一阵讪笑声．．．

玛丽安老师很是失望，但她没有勇气看着小迪克，只是顺手将手镯戴上，也挤出一、两滴香水，故意大方地擦在耳後．．．。没多久，下课铃声响了，小朋友们急着回家度耶诞假期，「明年见罗！」

当所有小朋友都离开教室时，小迪克畏畏缩缩地走到老师旁边,轻轻地说：「老师，你 身上的香水味，好香，就像我妈妈生前的味道一样．．．而她的手镯，戴在你手上，真的好漂亮，我好高兴你会喜欢它！」说完，一溜烟，就飞奔出教室。

玛丽安老师听了，愣傻了眼，半天说不出话来；她，坐下来，痛哭了一场－在过去的日子，她竟剥夺了一个没有母亲的孩子，应有的关心与照顾。

耶诞节後，玛丽安老师为了弥补良心上的亏欠，就在每天放学後，帮小迪克补习功课。

七年後，玛丽安老师收到迪克的第一封信，写着：
「亲爱的老师，你是第一个知道，我将在下个月以第二名成绩从高中毕业的人．．．」

再过四年，迪克又给玛丽安老师写第二封信：
「亲爱的老师，我希望让您第一个知道，我将以班上总成绩第一名毕业；四年大学不容易念，但我还是念完了．．．」

时间飞逝，不久後，迪克又来了第三封信：

「亲爱的老师，从今天开始，我就是『迪克医生』了！我将在七月二十七日结婚，我想请您来参加婚礼，坐在我母亲在该坐的地方！我已经没有亲人了，我父亲在去年已离世．．．您的学生迪克上」