Ảnh minh họa
http://www.makeadifferencemovie.com/FullMovie/Câu chuyện đã xảy ra từ nhiều năm trước. Lúc đó, cô Thompson đang dạy tai trường tiểu học của một thị trấn nhỏ tại Hoa Kỳ. Vào ngày khai giảng năm học mới, cô đứng trước những em học sinh lớp 5, nhìn cả lớp và nói cô sẽ yêu thương tất cả các học sinh như nhau. Nhưng thực ra cô biết mình sẽ không làm được điều đó bởi cô đã nhìn thấy cậu học sinh Teddy Stoddard ngồi lù lù ngay bàn đầu. Năm ngoái cô đã từng biết Teddy và thấy cậu bé chơi không đẹp với bạn bè, quần áo thì lôi thôi lếch thếch, còn người ngợm thì lại quá bẩn thỉu. "Teddy trông thật khó ưa".
Chẳng những thế, cô Thompson còn dùng cây bút đỏ vạch một chữ thập rõ đậm vào hồ sơ cá nhân của Teddy và ghi chữ F đỏ chói ngay phía ngoài (chữ F là hạng kém).
Ở trường này, vào đầu năm học mỗi giáo viên đều phải xem thành tích học tập của từng học sinh trong lớp mình chủ nhiệm. Cô Thompson đã nhét hồ sơ cá nhân của Teddy đến cuối cùng mới mở ra xem, và cô rất ngạc nhiên về những điều đọc được:
Cô giáo phụ giáo phụ trách lớp 1 đã nhận xét Teddy như sau: "Teddy là một đứa trẻ thông minh và luôn vui vẻ. Học giỏi và chăm ngoan... Em là nguồn vui cho người chung quanh".
Cô giáo lớp 2 nhận xét: "Teddy là một học sinh xuất sắc, được bạn bè yêu quý nhưng có chút vấn đề vì mẹ em ốm nặng và cuộc sống gia đình thật sự là một cuộc chiến đấu".
Giáo viên lớp 3 ghi: "Cái chết của người mẹ đã tác động mạnh đến Teddy. Em đã cố gắng học, nhưng cha em không mấy quan tâm đến con cái và đời sống gia đình sẽ ảnh hưởng đến em nếu em không được giúp đỡ".
Giáo viên chủ nhiệm lớp 4 hận xét: "Teddy tỏ ra lãnh đạm và không tỏ ra thích thú trong học tập. Em không có nhiều bạn và thỉnh thoảng ngủ gục trong lớp".
Đọc đến đây, cô Thompson chợt hiểu ra vấn đề và cảm thấy tự hổ thẹn.Cô còn thấy áy náy hơn khi đến lễ Giáng sinh, tất cả học sinh trong lớp đem tặng cô những món quà gói giấy màu và gắn nơ thật đẹp, ngoại trừ món quà của Teddy. Em đem tặng cô một gói quà bọc vụng về bằng loại giấy gói hàng nâu xạm màu mà em tận dụng lại từ loại túi giấy gói hàng của tiệm tạp hóa. Cô Thompson cảm thấy đau lòng khi mở gói quà ấy ra trước mặt cả lớp. Một vài học sinh đã bật cười khi thấy cô giơ lên chiếc vòng giả kim cương cũ đã sút mất vài hột đá và một chai nước hoa chỉ còn lại một ít. Nhưng cô đã dập tắt những tiếng cười nhạo kia khi cô khen chiếc vòng đẹp, đeo nó vào tay và xịt một ít nước hoa trong chai lên cổ tay. Hôm đó Teddy đã nán lại cho đến cuối giờ để nói với cô: "Thưa cô, hôm nay cô thơm như mẹ em ngày xưa".
Một năm sau, cô tìm thấy một mẩu giấy nhét qua khe cửa. Teddy viết: "Cô là cô giáo tuyệt vời nhất trong đời em". Sáu năm sau, cô lại nhận được một bức thư ngắn từ Teddy. Cậu cho biết đã tốt nghiệp trung học, đứng hạng ba trong lớp và "Cô vẫn là người thầy tuyệt vời nhất trong đời em".
Bốn năm sau, cô lại nhận được một lá thư nữa. Teddy cho biết dù hoàn cảnh rất khó khăn khiến cho cậu có lúc cảm thấy bế tắc, cậu vẫn quyết tốt nghiệp đại học với hạng xuất sắc nhất, nhưng "Cô vẫn luôn là cô giáo tuyệt vời mà em yêu quý nhất trong đời".
Rồi bốn năm sau nữa cô nhận được bức thư trong đó Teddy báo tin cho biết cậu đã đậu tiến sĩ và quyết định học thêm lên. "Cô vẫn là người thầy tuyệt nhất của đời em", nhưng lúc này tên cậu đã dài hơn. Bức thư ký tên Theodore F. Stoddard - giáo sư tiến sĩ.
Câu chuyện vẫn chưa kết thúc tại đây. Một bức thư nữa được gửi đến nhà cô Thompson. Teddy kể cậu đã gặp một cô gái và cậu sẽ cưới cô ta. Cậu giải thích vì cha cậu đã mất cách đây vài năm nên cậu mong cô Thompson sẽ đến dự lễ cưới và ngồi ở vị trí vốn thường được dành cho mẹ chú rể.
Và bạn thử đoán xem việc gì đã xảy ra? Ngày đó, cô đeo chiếc vòng kim cương giả bị rớt hột mà Teddy đã tặng cô năm xưa, xức thứ nước hoa mà Teddy nói mẹ cậu đã dùng vào kỳ Giáng sinh cuối cùng trước lúc bà mất.
Họ ôm nhau mừng rỡ và giáo sư Stoddard thì thầm vào tai cô Thompson:
"Cám ơn cô đã tin tưởng em. Cám ơn cô rất nhiều vì đã làm cho em cảm thấy mình quan trọng và cho em niềm tin rằng mình sẽ tiến bộ".
Cô Thompson vừa khóc vừa nói nhỏ với cậu: "Teddy. Chính em mới là người đã dạy cô rằng cô có thể sống khác đi. Cô đã biết thế nào là dạy học kể từ khi cô được gặp em".
Phạm Huê lược dịch
Teddy's Story
(Author Unknown)
Jean Thompson stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very first day of school in the fall and told the children a lie.
Like most teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all the same, that she would treat them all alike. And that was impossible because there in front of her, slumped in his seat on the third row, was a little black boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were unkempt and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy was unpleasant. It got to the point during the first few months that she would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then marking the F at the top of the paper biggest of all.
Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, no one else seemed to enjoy him, either. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's records and put Teddy's off until last. When she opened his file, she was in for a surprise.
His first-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright, inquisitive 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, "Teddy continues to work hard but 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. He is tardy and could become a problem."
By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem but Christmas was coming fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all, until the day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on Teddy Stoddard.
Her children brought her presents, all in beautiful ribbon and bright paper, except for Teddy's, that was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper of a scissored 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 cologne. She stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume behind the other wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed behind 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 speaking. Instead, she began to teach children. Jean Thompson paid particular attention to one they all called "Teddy." As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. On days there would be an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the class and...well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had once vowed to love all of her children exactly the same.
A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his favorite. 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 his favorite teacher of all time. 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 graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson she was still his favorite teacher.
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 his favorite teacher but that 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 to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering...well, if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew usually reserved for the mother of the groom. And guess what, she wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And I bet on that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like... well, just like way Teddy remembered his mother smelling on their last Christmas together.
THE MORAL: You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another's life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact in your venture through life. Take Time to remember the little things that can be very important.
Yesterday is History,
Tomorrow is a Mystery,
Today is a Gift.
That's why they call it the PRESENT.
THE MORAL:
You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another's life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact in your venture through life.
Jean Thompson stood in front of her fifth grade class on the very first day of school in the fall and told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all the same, that she would treat them all alike. And that was impossible because there in front of her, slumped in his seat on the third row, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were unkempt and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy was unpleasant. It got to the point during the first few months that she would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then marking the F at the top of the paper biggest of all.
Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, no one else seemed to enjoy him, either. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's records and put Teddy's off until last. When she opened his file, she was in for a surprise.
His first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright, inquisitive 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, "Teddy continues to work hard but 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. He is tardy and could become a problem."
By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem but Christmas was coming fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all, until the day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on Teddy Stoddard.
Her children brought her presents, all in beautiful ribbon and bright paper, except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper of a scissored 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 cologne. She stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume behind the other wrist.
Teddy Stoddard stayed behind 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 speaking. Instead, she began to teach children.
Jean Thompson paid particular attention to one they all called "Teddy." As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. On days there would be an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne.
By the end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the class and...well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had once vowed to love all of her children exactly the same.
A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his favorite.
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 his favorite teacher of all time.
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 graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson she was still his favorite teacher
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 his favorite teacher but that 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 to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering...well, if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew usually reserved for the mother of the groom. And guess what, she wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And I bet on that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like... well, just like the way Teddy remembered his mother smelling on their last Christmas together.
THE MORAL:
You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another's life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact in your venture through life.
