2014-39 Elizabeth Silance Ballard: Teddy and his Best Teacher
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.
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For another popular version of this story - "Three Letters from Teddy" [Click Here]
Here is the best movie [8 min] that I have seen in my life, defining a true teacher,
worth seeing again, and again, and again!
Make a Difference Movie [2014] - Courtesy Heart Productions & Publishing
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Text of the Story of Teddy and his Best Teacher
Text of the Story of Teddy and his Best Teacher
There is a story many years
ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of
school, she told the children an untruth. 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 Stallard.
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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't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
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 Stallard 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 the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the
children 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 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, second 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, "Theodore F. Stallard, 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. Stallard 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."
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| Elizabeth Silance Ballard |
This touching tale
is one of pure invention and was penned by Elizabeth Silance Ballard. It appeared as an article captioned "The Teacher" in the March 1976 issue of Home Life magazine. Many of the
details, including the homemade wrapping paper and Teddy's wedding date, were
taken from her own life. The
broken bracelet and perfume were a tidbit from a teacher friend who had gotten
such a gift from a child in the class where she was a long-term substitute. The surname (Stanley) of the grandmother who urged young
Elizabeth to bring Christmas present of hand-picked pecans to her teacher was combined with the
author's then surname (Ballard) to form the surname "Stallard" for Teddy.
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