Do You Teach a Subject or Children?

I'm Brian Martin. I'm a second grade teacher who find so much joy and fulfillment in what I do. Being in the classroom for almost 20 years, I know all about the time, effort and energy that you are continuously pouring into those you serve. That's why each week, I'm going to bring you an inspiring message to give you a little joy, and help fill your cup back up. Thank you for being here. And welcome to the teaching champions podcast. What's going on everybody? I hope this finds you striving and thriving and doing absolutely amazing. Today I want to share with you a short story. And this is a little bit quirky. But one of my favorite things to do is listen to old school motivational speakers. Today we have the Tony Robbins, Bernie Brown, Rachel Hollis Gary Vee, but before them, it was Zig Ziglar Jim Rohn Les Brown in a man by the name of Dr. Dyer. And that was working out the other day listening to Dr. Dyer. And he's given the speech to the audience. And he pulls out the story. And he reads it to him. And it was absolutely amazing. It was so powerful. Now I know. in middle age, I become very soft and very sentimental. But this is good. So listen to this story. Listen to this message. I promise it's gonna resonate with you. There's a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And then she stood in front of her fifth 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 they're in the front row slumped in the seat was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before. And notice that he didn't play well with the other children. His clothes were messy, and he constantly needed a bath. And at times, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his paper with a broad red pen, making bold axes and then putting a big F at the top of his papers. at the school where Mrs. Thomson 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 secondary teacher rope. 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 in his home life as soon affect him. As some steps aren't taken. Teddy's fourth grade teacher row, 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 our students brought Christmas presents wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped and heavy brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presence. 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 explained 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 Smell just like my mom used to. After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. And that very day, she quit teaching, reading and writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children, Mrs. Thompson pay 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 become one of the smartest children in class. And despite her lie that she would love all the children the 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 thirdness 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 have been tough at times, he'd stayed in school had stuck with it. And when soon graduated from college with the highest of honors, he assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in this 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, Dr. Theodore Stoddard. 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, the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore the bracelet, the one with the 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 for making me feel important and showing me that I can make a difference. Mrs. Thompson with tears in her eyes whisper back. She said, Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I can make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you. That story right there. That story is so good. So much truth to that, when it talked about that Christmas Day with those rhinestone bracelet and the perfume. And sitting there after school in that room, and the tears running down her face. And that she decided that she was going to stop teaching math and reading and arithmetic and start teaching children. That's huge. That's huge. And that's what we all do. Because when you see them for who they are, when you see them for who they can be when you invest in them and guide them and believe in them, when you show them that you won't give up on them. You make that difference. So good. So powerful. make that difference, my friends. And I wish you all nothing but the best this week. And always remember, always remember that it doesn't matter whether we're from rural America to urban America, to every country, every community. We're on that same team. We're on that same mission, and we're always better together. So keep shining your light, my friends, and as we step into this week, may step into your strength, step into your shine, and let's build these champions up. Have a great week, everybody.