So it was the brown-nosers who sucked up to the teacher then because the teacher was the boss?

Not necessarily. Sucking up isn't an 'awe' response. Sucking up is sucking up. Eddie Haskell, total savvy guy, comes to mind.

Gee, one time in 9th or 10th grade homeroom at my Catholic school the guy behind me tapped me on the shoulder. When I turned around he unwrapped his hankerchief to reveal a .22 cal revolver. He asked if I was interested, I said no because it didn't have a positive stop on the cylinder. The hammer could come down on the cartridge before it was centered on the barrel. He needed money for a carburettor for his '49 Ford. Later I asked him if he ever got it running and he said not because his mother traded it for a case of beer. I never concidered us rough and tumble, just normal kids. Try Itialian Catholic and having the parish priest over for spagetti and meatballs. You might respect the man but you never let your guard down. Like when going around town you stayed out of certian neigbhorhoods if you didn't want beat.

used: I bow to your streets smarts!

???? I thought that that was the way it was and everybody else was like me. And if I was so "street smart" why did I feel guilty for missing mass on Sunday well past high school?