Little School.

My teaching "career" went well over a decade, and then some.

At the start taught the privileged in a private school for the rich at one of Melbourne's elite institutions, feeling all was well.

As an "idealist" believed I was teaching the next generation of doctors, leaders, and social innovators. Generally, this was true, only to run across one lad.

This boy came from an influential family, a long line of politicians, lawyers, and business owners. I'll call him "Brad" as his behavior leaned in the direction of a sociopath...a disturbed young man.

In the private school sector, parents, pay exuberant sums to educate their young.

Only the best education will do for my little Tommy or Jill!

Brad would sit in my class, nothing prepared and cause havoc. Baiting me to later reach a climax of relentless disrespect and an anarchic feeling in the classroom, leaving with a victim's huff, blaming all and sunder for his behavior, though this never happened in my class. Why? Brad's fellow students knew his antics and were no- longer buying into the emotional blackmail.

Later in the year, Brad would fail in my class, was approached by a senior member of staff, telling me to pass the boy because his father gave the school so much money every second semester...I left a private school education with more than a bad taste in my mouth.

Later taught at a State School, a mixed bag of the poor and respectable middle-class children. A hard slog for any teacher because one's personal life disappears and one's students take first priority. Some wonderful children that now have grown into wonderful people with children; the world turns. Left this school because the teachers and the principal became harder to handle than my students! Why? Because most of these teachers are institutionalized, meaning they've been in "school" all their lives and know nothing else.

Finally at the end of my teaching career, I decided to take a break, played guitar at a few pubs, and wrote a novel.

Decided to go back to the profession as a substitute teacher. My only gigs were Primary (elementary) schools, teaching the little guys! What a pleasure.

True innocence, so curious, so wanting to do the right thing.

Today, by coincidence, I drove by the country little school that was my last day as a teacher...

Felt good.