1) Jean Thompson was a 5th grade teacher who had a student named Teddy Stoddard that she didn't like at first because he was messy and troubled. 2) She later learned that Teddy's mother had died and his father didn't care for him, which is why he acted out. 3) Jean paid extra attention to Teddy and brought him out of his shell, and he became one of the smartest students. They kept in touch after he graduated high school, college, and medical school, and he asked her to attend his wedding to thank her for believing in him.