Form 1

I teach Form 1 Biology (four 40 minute lessons) and English (seven 40 minute lessons including one on Saturday). There are 20 students in Form 1, ranging in age from 14 to about 18. Some students do not know exactly how old they are and their age can change from week to week! Tirrim Secondary School is still quite new. These are only the fourth year group to start the school. They love having their photo taken, don't like doing homework (or preps as they call it as they live at school), are reluctant to wear their ties properly or tuck their shirts in (kind of forgivable in 40 degree + temperatures) and complain if I make them remove their non-uniform jumpers, insisting that they are cold (it may be 35 degrees!). Yet many are keen to learn and for some great sacrifice has been made by their families and communities to send them to school, despite their being no real fees. This morning a student asked if he could apologise to me.Yesterday he had been late and, along with some others, had been argumentative and uncooperative. Whilst that sort of behaviour isn't unusual to me, the voluntary and genuine apology was!