Surviving Teenagers

"It is none of my business what you think of me."
I'm not sure where I read this but I have taken it on as my own, and it is pivotal to my survival in my recent foray back into the working world.
When we were still in South America, and only planning our return to Australia, I was often questioned about what I would 'do' when I returned. In this context 'do' is obviously indicative of the work you do - how you earn your living. My immediate answer was always, 'well, I know what I don't want to do - and that is to go back to teaching high school students'... Famous last words, as they say.
I explored a number of other options but nothing seemed to work out. I focussed myself on what I really wanted to do and came up with any number of things to spend my time on, but nothing that was going to put food in my mouth, clothes on my back and a roof over my head - let alone allow me to go travelling again! But I remained optimistic - something would turn up, just when I needed it.
Meanwhile we were actively pursuing the purchase of a house so that we would really feel like we were 'home', and considering the very real possibility that we would be paying our mortgage from our capital resources - didn't seem to make much sense really. One day I was making contact with one of my former colleagues, who is also a friend. I had seen her once shortly after returning and told her clearly what I didn't want to 'do'. On this second occasion as we were chatting, she suggested I might like to try coming back to work as a casual replacement teacher, because there weren't really many available. Much to my surprise, I agreed to give it a try, without even thinking about it.
I am now a casual mathematics teacher taking classes for full-time teachers who are absent for a variety of reasons. Now, I must make it clear that casual teachers are seen as fair game by teenagers. You are not a 'real' teacher and your presence in the classroom brings out the absolute worst in almost all humans between the ages of 12 and 18! They are confrontational and provocative - sometimes passively, but often aggressively. Deep down most have a shred of common decency left and will sometimes surprise themselves by responding in a neutral manner to a request, but positivity is largely lacking.
"Why won't you do your work?"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"You wouldn't understand. You're too old."
This is an example of a relatively minor altercation.
I decided that I wasn't having any altercations - that I was not going to rise to any bait - that I wasn't going to raise my voice - that I was going to be calm, cool and quiet. And above all, I was going to be polite.
In order to do this I had to be able to let go of any desire to make them do anything. And of paramount importance in this process was my belief in the statement I began here with:
"It is none of my business what you think of me."
Long ago I decided that life was too short to do something you hate. I have found a way to do something I am qualified and capable of doing without it causing me any stress - and it is sometimes even fun. Imagine - I can laugh when I am told that I am too old to understand!

Prison or Protection

There are bars on the windows here. As I sit and view the outside world, I also look through the bars of the fence outside.
Inside the boundary, buildings are mostly grey, although the older ones are of red bricks that have eroded with time, and are now smooth to touch. A flash of bright orange catches my eye as the sun hits it. It is a power box - its utilitarian purpose belied by its colour.
There is enough green to be seen to keep my spirits up. Trees are clearly visible from where I sit but they are, with one exception, outside the fence. Grass grows within and has a lush appearance due to the recent rains, but it is at best patchy, dotted with areas of almost grey dirt, compacted by thousands of feet over many years.
Even though the populace is enclosed in a finite space, I can hear evidence of lively enthusiasm vibrating around me from all directions - shouts, laughter and sometimes running feet.
A bell rings and the predominant sound now indicates movement of hundreds of bodies in different directions. I collect my books and join them in order to share my knowledge and wisdom with yet another group of often unresponsive teenagers, who are more focussed on their lives of freedom, outside the bars.