Even after two years of teaching I can't believe the cheek of some pupils. Most are absolutely fantastic polite young people but one or two need extra lessons in common courtesy. One boy in my year elevens apropos of nothing asked if I had a girlfriend. I pointed out to him that it wasn't anything to do with him, he then asked if I was a Master or a Mr. Which made about as much sense as it was about as relevant to solving quadratic equations.

When you've gotten to know pupils a bit you don't mind them knowing certain things about you but when you've only been teaching someone a few weeks their asking too many questions is nosey to the point of rudeness. Of course the assumption from such responses is that you don't, which is actually true at the moment but I'd give the same response either way as it really is a case of none-of-your-business.

While I tend to be cagey about the details of my personal life my pupils are much more open. One of my year eights came into her lesson this afternoon telling me that one of the boys in my form had dumped her at lunchtime. She seemed remarkably happy about it but seeing as two weeks ago she had been going out with another boy from my form I get the feeling it wasn't that serious. The original boyfriend had then gone out with someone else and had also dumped her this lunchtime. I don't think it was a good hour for young love.

It's quite sweet when they're in year eight talking about who they're going out with. A girl in my form told me she was going out with someone but he never talks to her. Based on what she said I'm not entirely sure that the boy actually knows he's going out with her. It's much nicer than hearing my year elevens talking about who shagged who last night. Though based on two of the girls in my year eleven class this morning I'm not sure how well they can remember anyway. They were very hungover, I actually let them drink lucozade because they were a sorry sight. Put it this way, I doubt they'll be going near any Apple Sourz for a while. Though I wasn't impressed when the lucozade was spilled on their desk, proving that children can't be trusted with anything other than water in a classroom. I'd say it's disappointing that they'd turn up to school in such a condition but I know of teachers who have done the same. A science teacher famously threw up in a bin on one occasion.

After a day of hearing far too much information about my pupils lives and having someone being far too inquisitive it was nice to have a lesson with my year nines where their main priority was learning maths. One girl was really struggling with the work and seemed to have some kind of mental block, I persevered with her and by the end of the lesson we managed to get it sorted. When she left the room she said 'thanks sir for learning me something new.'

I'd kind of hope that's what happens every time she comes into my classroom but it was really sweet. As a teacher I don't think you should expect your pupils to appreciate you, ultimately we're just there to do a job and they're the important people in the room, but it's nice when they do. Really I was just doing my job and it was like a moment from a cheesy advert for teaching but I loved it all the same.