End of an era for Mr Duck
"I teach the kids something and they teach me something."
This has been the philosophy of John Duck, a local primary school teacher who recently retired after an illustrious 50-year career. John, or as his many students know him, Mr Duck, has been a staple of many local primary schools for the past five decades, particularly in the field of physical education.
John's love for all things fitness also flowed into his time as a marathon runner, where he competed in races across Australia and overseas. Many Trafalgar residents may recall how common a sight it was to see him pounding the pavement every morning as he trained for an upcoming event.
But while many know him as John and others as Mr Duck, I know him as Dad.
Growing up with John as a father could be only described as an interesting experience. Most kids my age didn't have a parent who got up at 4am every morning to run for hours at a time. They also didn't have someone who, despite training extensively to keep their body fit, lived largely on a diet drinking soft drink.
Like his running, John's teaching career was defined by his refusal to do things by halves.
Despite not being, by his own admission, an academic student during his own schooling, John found himself in the classroom again very quickly after finishing his studies.
"I just fell into it. I filled out the application to a whole lot of stuff and when I got that one I thought 'ah well, that's as good as anything. I had no idea what I wanted to do," he said.
While many who may have had Mr Duck as their teacher knew he could be stern at times, he said his first experiences teaching were "fairly intimidating."
"I remember on teacher rounds I used to walk up and down the aisles and be nervous as hell before I even said anything."
Having lived with the man for more than two decades, hearing this left me a little shocked. Many words have been used to describe John, but the term 'meek' would never have been one of mine.
The structure of John's career was a little different to what one might expect from a teacher. He was never really full time, instead bouncing from school to school as a relief teacher, helping out wherever needed him most that week.
By his own count, it means he's taught tens of thousands of students. There was even a brief time where he taught me in grade six, which was one of the stranger experiences during my education.
"I've got adults coming up to me on the street from all over Gippsland saying 'g'day' to me because they recognise me."
One story in particular stands out, when he went to a local prison to give a presentation on marathon running.
"It was gobsmacking a bit to realise the number of inmates who actually knew me.
"They were extremely respectful. That was what was amazing about it, they were absolutely respectful," he said with a smile.
According to John, one of his greatest teaching achievements, however, was something that didn't happen in the classroom.
John, with close friend and at the time fellow teacher Ranier Verlaan, set up the Gippsland Primary School Sports Camp in Rawson to encourage talented kids to pursue their sporting goals. First established in 1996, the camp is still running strongly to this day.
Many readers of the Gazette would of course recognise John for his long term correspondence in the letters to the editor section, where he's had many a robust backand-forth with other readers.
"Not that I don't believe everything I write, but I like stirring people sometimes," he said of his many contributions. Having had to type many of them out for him to be sent as emails, I would agree with that sentiment.
Technology in general was one of the few challenges John has never been able to overcome.
While many teaching plans now include the computer as a vital component, he would often be content to leave those mysteries to other, younger teachers. Or whichever education support staff happened to be assigned to him that day.
Some things have changed for John though. He no longer gets up at 4am, for example. Now he gets up at 3am.
He has repeatedly insisted to the rest of his family, that no, he's not "insane" as we often describe him.
He also admits he has changed over his 50year career, saying he became "much more empathetic."
"Not to say I wasn't empathetic early, I certainly was. But just realising backgrounds of kids I was teaching. A lot of them from really difficult circumstances.
"I didn't feel like I needed to be their best friend, but I was more relaxed. Less oldschool."
But that empathy, combined with his passion, is what made him such an effective teacher over the course of his career. And it's also what's made him a pretty great father.
Now officially retired, he'll have to find something to keep him occupied. As his scattered teaching career would suggest, he's not one to stay in the one place for too long.
In saying that, everyone in the family is aware his recent retirement likely won't keep him out of the classroom for long, something that he acknowledges.
"It's official, but it's not set in stone," he said.