The essence of being a year nine teacher

Abstract Year nine students present a perpetual problem to schools and teachers alike. Typically aged 14 or 15 years old, year nines simultaneously experience puberty adolescence. These converging life stages result in students’ whom have described as being lost , disengaged and, more alarmingly, never-never land. A largely unrecognised group of Victoria, Australia, chosen novel approach engaging through specific schooling structures targeted curriculum—I term these approaches programmes. programmes typically involve different mainstream schooling, including residential components, greater focus on learning the use an integrated curriculum. This paper shares stories six who work one such programme. The are shared using phenomenological found poetry search ‘essences’ teacher. Through presentation essences, I argue that required accoutrement skills, addition skills needed by settings.