What a smart teacher you had! Your story is a perfect example of the kind of magic great teachers can achive. She motivated you without pushing you, and you decided on your own to do something outside your comfort zone!
One of the first tips on our page about helping your child learn the multiplication tables (http://www.sensible-math-education.com/third-grade-math.html) is to give them a big prize for memorizing them! It's a huge accomplishment which took a lot of hard work on their part!
I'll bet that tea set meant the world to you Connie. You worked so hard to earn it!
