I know the personalities at my school --- not the people.
I know that Lovely Teacher's a great big goofball, who's actually really shy, and spends most of his day being a cheerfully silly idiot. I know W is remarkably organised and a little bit terrifying with what seems to be her command of everything. I know that Mr 40 Years Experience (the school's Acting Principal) is really a terrible manager, of people and events, that is in love with the sound of his own voice, but means well, deep down. But I don't know what Lovely Teacher liked doing as a kid, or what W's favourite song is, or what Mr 40 Years Experience dreamt of doing when he grew up.
It's strange to think that I can gauge, very easily, what someone's reaction will be to a comment or incident, but not know why they think and feel this way.
I think that's the usual way of things when it comes to work and professional relationships. But these are the only people I see regularly in person other than my students and the Anangu workers at the store. It feels weird not to have a connection or understanding beyond, "hello, how was your morning, are your students behaving themselves today?"
