These stories and poems are about real children,their pain and their success.

This will show you how people can change if they take the time to make sure all their information is correct..it made me cry..

There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. 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 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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show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."

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 present which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy,

brown paper that he got
from a 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 bracelet 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 Mom used to." After the children left she cried for

at least an hour. On that very
day, she quit teaching reading, and 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 her lie
that she would love all the
children the same, Teddy became one 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, TheodoreF. 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 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 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 all 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."