In 1994 Ben Swan walked into Pleasant Heights Public School as a five-year-old kindergartener, a bit overwhelmed by what felt like a big place to a small child.
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Thirty years later Mr Swan now stands at the front of the classroom at that very same school, teaching young children embarking on their first year of primary education.
Mr Swan grew up just down the road from the Mount Pleasant School and was the first child in his family to attend, with his younger twin brothers Tim and Brett joining him two years later.
He described his primary school years at Pleasant Heights as "wonderful".
"I can remember so many of my teachers. In fact, I remember all of them and... all of them had their own special way of teaching us and helping us learn," Mr Swan said.
"It was just a wonderful school, principal, office staff... it's a smallish school and it was even smaller back then, and it was just a nice, tight-knit community school."
He believes his teachers during his time as a student at Pleasant Heights ultimately influenced his decision to become a teacher himself, especially one teacher, Glenys Worthington - who became his first supervisor on his university placement.
"She went out of her way to make teaching fun... you could see even as a kid that so much effort went into her lessons and I just thought, 'If I'm going to be a teacher, that's what I want to do too'," Mr Swan said.
Pleasant Heights was not his first school after he graduated with his teaching degree from the University of Wollongong in 2010: his first job was at Fairy Meadow Demonstration School.
But it was in 2013 that he found himself back at his old stomping ground, where he now counts a teacher from his days as a student, Leonie Claridge, among his colleagues and friends.
Mr Swan said primary teaching, as opposed to high school, appealed because it offered him the opportunity to teach a broad range of subjects.
Over the course of his career so far he has taught every grade except one and six, and this is his fourth year teaching kindergarten.
After teaching older children, it was a position he was initially reluctant to take up because he was not sure how he would go, but he said he surprised himself.
Mr Swan said he couldn't say he preferred teaching any year over the others, but the progress of the kindergarteners was rapid and easy to see.
"When they come to kindergarten obviously they know a little bit, but by the time you get halfway through the year the difference is really big," he said.
"They're reading and they're writing... and it's nice to see them developing their friendships and things like that."
The pressures of teaching had had Mr Swan considering a break from the profession, but he decided to stay on and see how things went.
"I'm glad I did because all the positive comments I've received... [it's given me] a bit of a spur on, to reignite the flame," he said.
Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
