By M L Satyan

Coimbatore, Sept 2, 2024: Whenever I have conducted training for schoolteachers, one question bothered my mind: “When does a teacher really teach?”

Last week, I read an inspirational story that gives a meaningful answer to the above question. This may be considered a relevant message on the Teachers’ Day.

“As Mrs. Thompson 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. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson observed that Teddy did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy’s behaviour at times was 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” 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. The review revealed the following:
• 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• Teddy’s fourth-grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school.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 he 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 gifts, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy’s. His gift was clumsily wrapped in the heavy brown paper that he got from a grocery bag, which Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other gifts. 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 stayed after school that day just long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mother used to.” After all the children left, Mrs. Thompson cried for at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching just reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to TEACH children with empathy. 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.

A year later, she received a note 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 life. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he had stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of ranks. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favourite teacher he 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 favourite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, “Dr. Theodore F. Stoddard, MD”. He was working as a doctor at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, that had the Stoddard Cancer Wing.

The story does not end there. There was yet another letter during the spring time. Teddy said he had met a 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 at the wedding in the place 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. Moreover, she made sure she used the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother using 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 did not know how to teach until I met you.” (By Elizabeth Silance Ballard in Home Life Magazine).

In education a teacher has a crucial role. One characteristic could be attached to each letter of the word Teacher:
T = Truth – Tell the truth and give correct information to students.
E = Empathy – Be empathetic towards students who are weak in studies.
A = Available – Make yourself available to students and parents.
C = Care – Have a sincere concern for the students and try to understand them.
H = Helping tendency – Play the roles of a father, mother, guide and mentor.
E = Encourage – Remember that students are not “Useless” but “Used less”.
R = Recognize the individuality or uniqueness in every student.

It is time for the teachers to “make a difference” today, tomorrow and always and live up to the noble profession they have selected. Guru Devo Bhava! (Teacher is God and to be honored).