Teddy Stoddard

Such an inspiring story for those who teach. 

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 Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.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

http://www.teachnet.com/speakout/inspiration/

Some ways to relax

After the hard, tiring days, we should relax. The best choic is "Go backpacking". To Prepare for the backpacking, we'll bring foods, drinks and something for the game. We can play badminton, volleyball and ride bikes.

Another choices are : climb mountains, swim on the pool or play chess. We shouldn't go alone, we should go backpacking with our families. If you want to go camping, you're going to bring flights, sleeping bags, camps. When you're fat, you'll go hiking; It's a good idea! You should bring hats, shoes. When you go backpacking, you have funny time for the new weeks. After that, you can buy something you like for you friends

Fool's Day

At the first day of April, I had a lot of funny stories. when I got of at six o' clock, my father said:" Today is holiday", I was very interested like a sheep but I was very disapoiting when I knew my Dad lied me. Now, I think that story wasn't too bad. In my class, I had experience but my friends didn't have. My boy friend- Trung looked so stupid when I said: "Your girl friend hates you". I thinked he wanted to cry but when I said:" Today's Fool's day", he was very happy. Next, our moniter said:" Today we have a literature test". We was so worried but literature didn't have any test, so my moniter had an amazing joke. But stories didn't stop, we had a joke from my teacher. When she went into the class, she said our points of math test is so bad but really, she didn't finish to match all out tests. When I went to took my bike, my friends said: " You lose your bike". I knew they lied but I didn't see my bike so I was very scared. After that, I found it in an another place. For more funny, we went to the tea shop to had a party for Fool's day.

Earth is heating up

Currently on the ice at both poles of the earth to heat up water in the oceans is increasing, affecting the coastal water. Earth's warming is due to the effects of man-made, emissions from factories, vehicles and waste of human pollution of the environment, affecting the atmosphere and ecosystems . Increasingly, as human development, the environment, on a deteriorating climate, air pollution, water resources and groundwater resources, mineral, ... It is because of the mistakes that everyone should. So we must be aware of environmental protection

My plan for Huy's birthday

First, I'll have to go to his house and turn off his alrm clock. I want he able to sleep late. Hoa parents and I will make his breakfast. Then I'll go to a tea shop with our friends. We'll eat snacks and drink Cola. Next, we'll give him our presents. Maybe we'll go to skate-blading or do somethings different. Finally, I thing we'll go to cinema to see a movie and eat popcorn.

Happy International Women's Day

Dear Hang, Linh and Phuong,

Congratulations to three girls of Let's Go class on the occasion of International Women's Day, 8 March. I hope you will receive many flowers and cards from your classmates at school.

Did you know that the first International Women's Day was celebrated in 1911? Now, it is now an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. On this special day, men often give flowers and small gifts to their mothers, wives, girlfriends and colleagues.

Don't forget to give flowers to your mothers who are the most important people in your life. I believe they will be very happy if you are doing well at school.

Mr. Hien

Tet in Vietnam

In Vietnam Christmas, New Year's and easter are all wrapped up in one big cel-ebration called Tet Nguyen Dan, or Tet , for short.This biggest and the best celebration takes place in late Jan or early Feb at the beginning of the Vietnamese new year. Weeks before, Vietnamese cook, clean and get ready for Tet. We make banh Tet, special rice cake which is filled with green beans and pork.

On New year's day, everybody gose to pagoda, visit friends. The children are given red envelopes of li xi (lucky money)

But there are good luck sign too, we have some word say "happiness" or "long life" or "good luck"

My Tet's Holiday

In the first day of new year. I didn't go to bed at 9:00 PM. I went to bed at 1:30 AM. So in the morning I got up late. I stayed at home in the first of new year and watched may film on TV.

In the second day, I and my parents went to Quang Tri and I met my aunt, my uncle, my grandparents,.... My aunt and uncle for me many money and I was very happy. I ate lunch in my uncle's house. In the afternoon, I went home and I go out with my friends. In the morning , I ate dinner. Then, I played game. At 9:00 PM, I went bed.

In the third day,I got up early and ate breakfast. At 7:00 PM, I and my friends played soccer. In the afternoon, We went to our teacher's house and in the evening, after the dinner, I played game. My Tet's holiday was very fun. Do you think so?

My Tet holidays

In the first day of new year, I didn't go to sleep in the night. In the morning, I went to my grandmother 's house and ate breakfast in her house. It was very delicious. Next, I went with my friends to our teacher's house. We saw jam in every our teacher's house and I was bored its but we was very exited because we had a lot of money from them. I came home in the noon and ate lunch with noodles and beef. In the afternoon, I stayed at home and met some my parent's friends. Ofcourse, they for me a lot of money. That night was very interesting when I watched a Tet film. It was very funny.

The second day, at 6 o' clock, my family go to Vinh Linh to visit my grandma. We ate new yaer's eve party at her house. I met my cousin and my uncle and aunt. They were fine and when we came back, me grandma for me a lot of orange and jack fruits. In that night, my family went to bed early because all of our were tired.

The thirst day, It was a best day over. I wake up a went to my friend house. They were very generous with me. Next, I came back home and ate some chinese sausage. It was awful and I drank some apple juice. It was sour but delicious. In the after noon, I went to Mr. Hien 's house. In the thirst's night, my family went shopping. It was my Tet. Do you think It was interesting?

history of chocolate

Chocolate is my favorite.I was starting to like chocolate when I was a little girl.My mother bought it for me.And now,I also love it,too.One day ago,I sufted the Internet and I found the history of the chocolate.Do you know,the ancient Mexican people made a chocolate drink from cacao seeds.Their chocolate was bitter and spicy.Many years later,cacao seeds were brought to Spain by the Spanish.The Spanish people added sugar to their chocolate.This sweet chocolate became the most popular drink in Europe.Over the years,chocolate was used in cakes and pastries,and in the 1800s,the chocolatr candy bar was created.Now the chocolate always be the present in Valentine Day.Somebody don't like chocolate because it to sweet.And me,I love it very very much and I eat it every day!What about you?

Chocolate

Do you like chocolate?

You should thank the Mexicans. Ancient Mexican people made a chocolate drink from cacao seeds. Their chocolate was bitter and spicy. Many years later, cacao seeds were brought to Spain by the Spanish. Spanish people added sugar to their chocolate. This sweet chocolate became the most popular drink in Europe. Both cacao and sugar were very expensive, so only rich people drank chocolate.

Over the years, chocolate was used in cakes and pastries, and in the 1800s, the chocolate candy bar was created. Chocolate also became cheaper, so more people were able to eat and drink it.

Our Environment

In the world, the society is developing, the population in creases. Negative activities of people uponed to enviroment is increasesing , a lot of age old culture is die out, some negative activities is increasesing, some evil calamity continuous occur. The young circless is falling into oblivion some national character. These are bad things. I'm very unhappy about them, because it make the socitety is falling down. A lot of animals in the world is become estinct, because the people hunt down.

Let's Go 5 Final Test Score

I am sorry for my late information of your final test score because I was very busy yesterday.

Well, I finished marking your final tests yesterday evening and I felt quite happy with your scores. Also, I thought five of you did very well during our interview after the paper test. All of you understood my questions and answered them well.

What a pity that you still made some mistakes in your tests. For Phuong and Linh, you did your tests quite well. Hang was the same with more mistakes. However, I felt sorry for Bao because he was the best student before. He made a lot of mistakes. Huy had more mistakes so his score was the lowest. Huy is the new student in our class. Huy went to the class just three months ago so he missed quite a lot of lessons. That's why Huy couldn't answer all questions in the test. But I'm happy to see Huy making good results and I'm very much sure that Huy will be one of the best students.

This is what you have scored:

1. Dinh Nhu Tieu Linh: 9.5

2. Nguyen Minh Phuong: 9.5

3. Nguyen Tran Thanh Hang: 9

4. Pham Quoc Bao: 8.5

5. Le Tran Quang Huy: 8

You will receive Let's Go 5 Certificates and a CD of Let's Go games and your speaking audio.

We will have no class for two weeks because I want to give you more time to review and prepare for your 1st term test at school.

Good luck and hope to see you again on 4th January 2010.

The stupid question

It was a peasant winter morning and Mullah Nasruddin was sitting on a rocking chair and enjoying some half-boiled eggs that were liberally sprinkled with rock salt and pepper. A man happened to pass by and wondered why Mullah was sitting in a rocking chair out in the open and eating his meal.
Walking over, he inquired:" Mullah, why are you sitting out in the open on a rocking chair and eating boiled eggs?"
Mullah looked him up and down scornfully and queried:" What would you rather have me doing? Sit on the boiled eggs and eat the rocking chair?"
Some people are in the habit of asking inane questions. Rather than replying such people, it is better to counter-query them to end the conversation abruptly.

The environment

The Environment is very diversity. There are many animals and plants, but the environment is polluted. The people are doing many work for the environment polluted, so we should protect the environment. Example:Don't waste the water; protect the animals,.... It's very easy and I think you should do protect the environment

THE ENVIRONMENT

Environment is a important field at the moment. There are a lot of people is propagandizing about " pollution of environment". They speak about " the waste of factories", " greenhouse effect" and a lot of problem. But orther people, they don't speak a lot, they work with the really activities. Examble: take waste into the waste basket. All of people is working because a pure air. Why don't we do like them? Let's move. First, It's very easy: please do not leave the litter. Can you?

Our Environment

What will you do when you have trash in your hands? Will you throw it in the waste baskets or it onto the streets. If you want our environment clean. You have to throw trash in any waste baskets you came across.
Environment inchides: air, water, land, pants, animals and so on. Our environment uesd to be clean some years ago, but now it isn't. It is pluting. Why? The season is very easy, every body know that, but they don't want to admit. Of course, because people made the environment plute . It will leave a lot of bad results but we never think about it. When it's still early, we have to fix our mistakes

A man!!

Mullah Nasruddin is probably the best-know trickster and wit in human history. Although there are hundreds and thousands of humorous anecdotes about Mullah Nasruddin, the details about his life are extremely sketchy. A few even claim that Mullah Nasruddin is simply a legendary character around whom countless witty sories have been woven. But considering the numerous references made to him over the past 750 years there is little doubt about his exitence.
In fact the oldest Mullah Masruddin story occurs in the book Saltukname, written in 1480, which also contains other folk stories and legends. This book reveals that Nasruddin was born in the Turkish village of Sivrihisar in 1208. Another account claims he was born in the village of Horto near Sivrihisar. He moved to Aksehir in 1237, where he died around 1284

The Day

You don't know what the Day going to be.Someday you don't want to go out of the bed in a winter moring,and someday you feel that you are flying in the sky...You can do many thing every day.So,let's go out of the bed,leave the clear blue sky,be yourself and playing some games.You can listen to music and ride a bicycle on the street,or you can do your homework,if you don't want?Don't worry,come on!Let's go to your friends house.Play with your friends will make you happier...

My interesting weekend

Like Linh, I have a busy weekend. I wake up at dawn. I eat breakfast with hot chocolate and cookies. Next I go to the store to buy some household appliance. Next at come home and go to school. I ride my bike to school( I have a class on Sunday). At 11.15, I come to my home. I eat lunch and go to the bed. In the afternoon, I go to the math class at half past two. I go to home at 4 o'clock. I watch the television and eat dinner. At quater to seven I go to Physics class with my friends. My class finishes at nine o'clock. I go to my home and go to sleep. My weekend is definitely busy.