The Day Mrs. Thompson Quit Teaching

Mrs. Thompson stood in front of her fifth grade class on the first day of school and told a lie - a big lie.  As she welcomed all her new students she said she would treat them all the same.  But that was not true; because there was one student Mrs Thompson would not treat the same – his name was Teddy Stoddard.

Now the school district had hired Ms. Thompson the year before and she couldn't help but notice Teddy last year.  He was a known problem child.  He had a lousy academic record and did not play well with the other children.  His clothes were always a mess and he looked like he needed a bath and oh what a bad attitude he had.

Consequently, during the beginning of the school year Mrs. Thompson delighted in marking Teddy’s papers with a broad red marker and placing big bold 'X's on all his wrong answers.  She loved putting a large 'F' at the top of his papers so other students could easily see the grade she gave him when she handed out the papers.

The School had a policy that required each teacher review the records of their students during the first week of December.  Mrs. Thompson held off Teddy's file to the last.  When she finally sat down to review his file, she was taken aback.  Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child who does neat work and has excellent classroom manners. He is a joy to have in my class - I will miss him next year."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an above average student who is well liked by his classmates. He has been having trouble lately because of his mother’s illness, and life at home has really been a struggle for him." 

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's recent death has been very hard on Teddy.  He tries hard to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest in Teddy and his home life is definitely having a negative impact on him."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a withdrawn child who does not show much interest in school. He has few friends, often comes to class unprepared, and is frequently disruptive."

Mrs. Thompson was now ashamed of her behavior. She felt even worse a few weeks later when her students brought in their Christmas presents for her.  All were wrapped in holiday paper and tied with ribbons except for one - Teddy's.  It was clumsily wrapped in brown paper from an old grocery bag with no ribbon. 

Mrs. Thompson opened Teddy’s present first. Some children laughed when they saw an old rhinestone bracelet with several stones missing and an old bottle of perfume only 1/4 full; but Mrs. Thompson quickly stifled their laughter by commenting on how beautiful the bracelet was as she put in on.  She then dabbed some perfume on each wrist, inhaled deeply and said it smells wonderful. Thank you Teddy for such wonderful gifts.

Before he left class that afternoon, Teddy walked up to Mrs. Thompson's desk, slowly leaned in and said, "I just want you to know you smell just like my Mom use to."  He then ran out of the room.  When all the other students left, Mrs. Thompson put her head down and cried at her desk. This was the day she vowed to quit teaching. 

Never again would Mrs Thompson teach reading, writing or arithmetic, instead she would start teaching children to enjoy life.
She began by paying attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind became alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded.  By the end of the school year, Teddy was one of the brightest students in her class.  Despite "her lie to treat all students the same," it was obvious Teddy was her pet.  The following year, Teddy transferred to middle school and Mrs. Thompson never saw him again.

Towards the end of the next school year, Mrs. Thompson found a note under her door.  It was a note from Teddy that said - she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
  

Seven years passed before she received another note.  This time Teddy wrote to tell her he had just finished high school - third in his class - and that he was planning to go to college - and the way Mrs. Thompson, you are still the best teacher I ever had in my whole life.

Four more years went by when a another letter from Teddy arrived.  This one explained he had graduated from college and was now planning on going to medical school in the fall and, by the way Mrs. Thompson  you are still the best teacher I ever had.

Several years passed before another letter arrived.  In this letter, Teddy stated he had met a wonderful woman and they would be getting married in June.  He explained his father died a few years earlier and he was wondering if she, Mrs. Thompson, would agree to sit in the place of honor reserved for the groom's parents at the head table. This letter was signed Theodore J. Stoddard, M.D.

Of course Mrs. Thomson agreed. When she arrived at the plush wedding ceremony she was wearing an old rhinestone bracelet with several rhinestones missing and carried a scent of a perfume that once reminded Teddy of his mother.  Dr. Stoddard immediately came forward and gave her a big hug. As he inhaled the fragrance of her perfume, he whispered in her ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for making me feel so important and thank you for making such a difference in my life."

With tears running down her cheeks, Mrs. Thompson, whispered back, "No Teddy you have it wrong.  I need to thank you for what you taught me. You taught me I actually could make a difference."

Why Johnny Can't Read - You Won't Believe Why

In the early 1950's an Austrian educational specialist published a study in America called "Why Johnny Can't Read."  His study argued that the Dick and Jane primers used at that time throughout American schools to teach children to read weren't working.

He believed they were horrible educational tools; according to him they were stupid, pointless, tasteless little readers.  He doubted whether any middle-class, middle-income, middle-IQ student could learn anything by reading  "Look, look" or "Yes, yes" or "Come see Spot" or "See the funny, funny animal."

He believed the stories in these primers were boring and the books ineffective at best in helping American children learn how to read. 

William Spaulding, a publisher from Houghton Mifflin's Publishing Company who worked in the educational division and read this Austrian study, thought it might be right. He met a man a few years earlier who he'd published a few not-very-well-known but very imaginative children's books that his children really loved to read over and over.

Mr. Spaulding thought this unknown writer of children's books might be able to write a book that would really be good for teaching American children how to read, want to read, and read over and over again. So he invited the author over for dinner one night and explained the dilemma to him.  Then Mr. Spaulding asked, "Can you write a book with a simple story that first-graders won't be able to put down and will just want to read over and over again?"

Stunned by the question and not sure how to respond, the writer asked if he could have some time to think about it and work on it.  He left that dinner and spent the next nine months composing a book he thought would meet the goals of Mr. Spaulding. 

 A meticulous editor and reviser, he believed that a children's book must be kept simple.  Every chapter had to be boiled down to just one simple paragraph so a child would be able to understand it.  He worked especially hard on the word count as he wanted to use as few words as possible.

The small children's reader this writer finally produced at Mr. Spaulding's request is now considered to be the most popular children's book ever written in American history. Within less then a year of its initial publication, it was selling 12,000 copies a month and within five years from its release it had sold over a million copies.  This was an incredible feat for a children's book.  

His book contained a grand total of 1,702 words but the kick is he only used 220 different words in the entire book. His simple yet effective book revolutionized the way children in America learn to read.  The book he wrote and presented to Mr. Spaulding nine months later was The Cat in the Hat.

Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Seuss Geisel) is without a doubt the best-selling children's book author of all time.  He has since written 63 other children's books in all, including Horton Hears a Who! (1954), One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (1960), Green Eggs and Ham (1960), Hop on Pop (1963), Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! (1975), The Butter Battle Book (1984), and of course, The Cat in the Hat (1957).

Wanted to Share Some Great News I Received - Hope You Enjoy

Your blog post "How Local Government Decisions Are Really Made" was just featured on GovLoop  - Knowledge Network for Government....because it was awesome.

Keep up the awesome
- Steve

To see your blog post featured, visit: http://www.govloop.com

Who Gets the Chair?

During the late 1700's, few American colonists lived on big plantations.  Most eked out extremely meager existences in one-room wooden houses.  Because their houses were so small, family dining generally took place on a table pushed close against one wall.  The young children sat on a long wide board which folded down from the wall while the bigger children and wife sat on a rough sanded bench on the other side. 

Most households only had one chair which was generally very ornate in design.  During the day the wife would use this chair to tend to the children, crochet, knit or mend clothing. However, the chair was always reserved for the man of the house when it was time to eat.

Should a special guest be over when  a meal was served, that special guest was normally offered the chair to sit in while they ate their meal while the rest of the family, including the man of the house, would sit on the board attached to the wall or on the wooden bench.  Consequently, for someone to be asked to sit in the chair meant they were important - either an honored guest or perhaps someone in charge of something. 

The person to sit in the chair was commonly referred to as the 'Chair man' or 'Chair person'.  Today, this same expression or title is used in all levels of government - Federal, State and Local.  We use the word 'Chairman' or 'Chairperson' to signify who is in charge of our board and committee meetings in government.

Are You Cutting Ham or Making a Difference?

It was Christmas Day and Suzie's Mother arose early to start the holiday meal.  Suzy heard Mom in the kitchen and ran down to join her.  As Suzy watched, Mom took a large ham from the refrigerator, unwrapped it, and placed it on a cutting board.  She then took a knife and cut a thick slice off each end of the ham.

 

"Why did you do that, Mom?" Suzy asked. 

"Do what?" Mom replied. 

"Cut those slices off the ends of the ham", Suzy commented.

"Well dear, I learned that from my Mother." Every Christmas my mother cut thick slices off the ends of her ham and she would save them for later.  

"Why?" Suzy asked.  

"I don't know.  It was just a family tradition I guess", Mom said.

A few hours later Grandma arrived.  Suzy walked over and said, "Grandma, this morning I watched Mommy prepare the ham and Mom cut thick slices off the ends of the ham.  When I asked her why, she said because that’s the way you always made a ham."

"Well Suzy", Grandma said.  "When I was a little girl just like you, I would watch my Mother make the holiday dinner and the first thing she always did was cut thick slices off the ends of the Christmas ham.  She did that every Christmas, so it was only natural that I kept up this special family tradition; and now, thank goodness, your Mother is keeping up this wonderful tradition.  Just think, when you get older you can keep up this family tradition as well."

Later that afternoon, Great Grandma arrived.  Once she was comfortably seated on the couch, Suzy sat next to her and commented, "Great Grandma, this morning I watched Mom prepare the Christmas ham and she cut a thick slice off from each end of the ham because that was the way Grandma made her Christmas ham.  When I asked Grandma why she cut slices off the ends of the ham she said because you always cut thick slices off the ends of your Christmas hams. Why do we have this family tradition?"

"Well Suzy", Great Grandma began, "Mommy and Grandma might have gotten this a little wrong.  Yes, I always did cut a thick slice off each end of our Christmas ham but that was not any special family tradition.  You see, when your Great Grandfather and I first got married, we were very poor and all we could afford was a small stove.  The only way I could fit a Christmas ham in our small oven was to cut off thick slices from each end."

The New Year is now in full swing and March is the perfect time to review all your existing business practices, organizational policies and family rules. Are they really necessary, or are you just cutting ham?

For more great ideas, just visit Pearls of Wisdom

A Guard At The Tomb

Most of us know there is monument in Washington DC erected solely to pay homage to unknown soldiers who lost their lives in military battles.  Most of us refer to this monument as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Soldiers; however, its official name, as designated by Congress, is the Tomb of the Unknowns.

To fully appreciate this monument and those who guard it, here is a story you might enjoy.

As Hurricane Isabelle approached the east coast back in 2003 and threatened Washington DC, members of the US Senate and the House scurried to evacuate the area.  For the first time in history the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff gave the military sentinels guarding The Tomb permission to suspend their duties and evacuate the city.

Every guard respectfully declined; they all volunteered to man their posts.  For two days, the guards were subjected to hurricane force winds and relentless pelting rain; however, the guards never left their posts.  Their refusal to suspend their duties means The Tomb has been continuously guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, since it was inaugurated in 1930. 

If you enjoyed this short story on The Tomb, I am sure you will find the following Tomb trivia of interest.

* Military personnel who apply to be a Tomb Guard must be between 5'10" and 6'2" tall and have a waist size that does not exceed 30".

* Individuals selected for Tomb Guard Duty must agree to serve a two-year assignment.  However, before accepting their post, each sentinel must swear never to drink any alcohol on or off duty during their two-year tour of duty.

* Newly assigned guards are required to study and memorize the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.  Among the notables interned at Arlington are President Taft, Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy (the most decorated soldier of WWII), and Joe Lewis, the great American boxer.

* Tomb guards are issued unique shoes that have special extra thick soles.  The thick soles prevent their feet from being affected by the heat and cold.  In addition, both shoes have metal heel plates that extend all the way to the top of the shoe to ensure a loud, distinctive click is made when the guards come to a halt. 

* Tomb guards must wear gloves while on duty.  Guards wet their gloves before reporting for duty to prevent their hands from losing their grip on the rifle they carry.

* Each guard takes exactly 21 steps to cross The Tomb – the 21 steps symbolize a twenty-one gun salute.

* After walking across The Tomb guards execute an "about- face", then pause for 21 seconds before they begin their return walk back across The Tomb.

* Guards always carry their rifles on the shoulder facing away from The Tomb.  After they walk across The Tomb and execute their "about-face", they ceremoniously transfer their rifle to the outside shoulder. 

* During the summer, guards change shifts every 30 minutes; during winter, every hour.

* The Tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

* When a guard successfully completes his/her two-year assignment, he/she is awarded a lapel pin.  Guards are allowed to wear this pin on their uniform.  The pin is a small wreath.  The wreath signifies to all that they were ...

                  A Guard Of The Tomb

Give`em Only What They Need

A young Minister and his family were transferred to a small rural community.  On the eve of his first Sunday, a major snow storm hit the area.  When he and his family awoke on Sunday morning, there was nearly three feet of snow outside. "Do you think we’ll be able to have a service today?" his wife asked.

 

"Quite honestly, no," he replied.  "I just don't see how anyone will be able to make it to church through all this snow."

Well, two minutes before the start of the scheduled service, a loud engine roar was heard in the distance.  When the family ran to the windows, they saw a farmer driving his big John Deere tractor and he was heading straight for the church. When the farmer arrived in front of the church, he jumped down off the seat.

The Minister ran out to greet him and the farmer said, "Reverend, I hope you don’t mind me driving my tractor this morning, but I just couldn’t make it through all this snow with my car."  Then the farmer realized the parking lot was empty and he was the only person at the church.

"Maybe you weren’t planning on holding services today?" he inquired.

 

"Not at all.  We are glad you are here, please come in.  We would be delighted to hold a service for you," replied the Minister.  As they walked into the church, his wife began to play the organ and his children, who were sitting in the choir loft, began to sing.

About an hour and a half later when the Minister finished his sermon, he walked to the back of the church, stood by the door and personally thanked the farmer for attending his first service in his new community.  Curious as to how he did, the Minister asked the farmer, "Did you enjoy the service this morning?" 

 

"I sure did," said Farmer Brown, "but to tell you the truth Preacher, it may have been just a bit too much."

"Too much?" replied the Minister.  "What do you mean, too much?"

 

"Well you see Preacher, I am just a simple farmer. The only responsibility I have is to feed my cows when they come home from the fields each night.  Once in a while after a big storm like this, only a few cows will make it back to the barn. Whenever that happens, I never ever give them the entire load of hay. I only give 'em what they need."

Two Sheets of Paper

Late one Friday afternoon, Ms. Simpson handed out two sheets of paper to each of the students in her class.  She asked the students to list the names of all their classmates on the two sheets  paper – instructing them to leave a big space between each name they wrote down.   

She then told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about that classmate, then write that thought under the person's name.  She gave her class one hour to complete this assignment.  When the time was up, she had the students turn in their papers as they left the room.  

Over the weekend, Ms. Simpson sat at her dining room table and recorded all the things her students had written down. On Monday morning, Ms. Simpson handed each student the individual list she compiled and gave them a few minutes to read it.  All the students beamed large smiles as they read what their classmates had said about them.  Ms. Simpson was glad she had used the exercise to fill up time on a Friday afternoon.

She never mentioned this assignment again and never knew if the students discussed their papers after class or even shared them with their parents. The school year ended and all of her students moved on.  For some reason, she never found the time or had the desire to repeat that exercise with any subsequent classes.

Several years passed when Ms. Simpson learned one of her former students was killed in Afghanistan and she decided to attend his funeral.  The church was packed with family and friends and many, including Ms. Simpson, walked up to the casket to pay their last respects.  

As she returned to her seat, a soldier in his dress uniform approached her and asked, "Are you Ms. Simpson - Were you Mark's teacher?"  She nodded 'yes.'  He said, "Mark talked about you a lot when we were in Afghanistan – he really enjoyed having you as his teacher.  He said you were the best teacher he ever had."

Following the funeral service, a luncheon was served in the church basement and Ms. Simpson decided to attend. Just as she finished her lunch, Mark's mother and father walked over to her.  Mark's mom said, "We’d like to thank you for coming and we want to show you something."  Mark's father took out his wallet.   He carefully removed two worn pieces of paper that had been folded and refolded numerous times and were now covered in several layers of scotch tape.

He said, "They found this on Mark when he was killed.  We thought you might recognize it."  Ms. Simpson immediately knew what those two pieces of paper were.  They were the papers on which she listed all the good things Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing this," Mark's mom said.  "Mark was so proud the day he brought these papers home - he could not stop talking about them - and, as you can see, he treasured it all his life."

Soon several of Ms. Simpson's former students, the classmates of Mark who also attended the luncheon, came forward and gathered around her.  Charlie smiled sheepishly and was the first to speak, "I still have my list, Ms. Simpson. It's in the top drawer of my dresser at home.  I look at it almost every night before I go to bed." 

Chuck's wife said, "Chuck had me put ours in our wedding album.  We show them off all the time."

"I have mine too," Marilyn said.  "It's in my diary."

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her purse, took out her billfold and pulled out her worn and frazzled list for the group.  "I carry mine with me at all times."

Without batting an eyelash, Wanda said, "I think we all saved our lists."  

That’s when Ms. Simpson sat down at a table and  began to cry.  She cried not only for Mark and all his friends but also for all the students she had taught throughout the years that she never took the time to repeat this effortless exercise.

Having a lasting impact on those we meet in life is easier than most of us think.  Once in awhile we need to take time out of our busy schedule to point out the nice things we see in those around us, the ones we work with and the ones we serve.