A college professor had his sociology class go into the Baltimore slums to get case histories of 200 young boys. They were asked to write an evaluation of each boys future. In every case the students wrote, He hasnt got a chance. Twenty-five years later another sociology professor came across the earlier study. He had his students follow up on the project to see what had happened to these boys. With the exception of 20 boys who had moved away or died, the students learned that 176 of the remaining 180 had achieved more than ordinary success as lawyers, doctors and businessmen.

The professor was astounded and decided to pursue the matter further.

Fortunately, all the men were in the area and he was able to ask each one, How do you account for your success? In each case the reply came with feeling, There was a teacher.

The teacher was still alive, so he sought her out and asked the old but still alert lady what magic formula she had used to pull these boys out of the slums into successful achievement.

The teachers eyes sparkled and her lips broke into a gentle smile. Its really very simple, she said. I loved those boys.

有位教社會學的大學教授曾讓自己的學生到巴爾的摩的貧民窟，調查200名男孩的成長背景和生活環境， 并對他們未來的發展做一評估，每個學生的結論都是：他毫無出頭的機會。 25年后，另一位社會學教授發現了這份研究，他叫學生做后續調查，看昔日這些男孩今天是何狀況。結果根據調查，除了有20名男孩搬離或過世，剩下的180名中有176名成就非凡，其中擔任律師、醫生或商人的比比皆是。

這位教授在驚訝之余，決定深入調查此事。他拜訪了當年曾接受調查的年輕人。

幸運的是，這些人都在同一個地區。他跟他們請教同一個問題，你今日會成功的最大原因是什么？結果他們都不約而同地回答：因為我遇到了一位好老師。

這位老師目前仍健在，雖然年邁，但還是耳聰目明，教授找到她后，問她到底有何絕招，能讓這些在貧民窟長大的孩子個個出人頭地？

這位老太太眼中閃著慈祥的光芒，嘴角帶著微笑回答道：其實也沒什么，我愛這些孩子。