Napoleon marches into Rang Niamh

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE is under discussion in Rang Niamh. It's second year's history class. We open our books at page 201. John Cronin recaps on the last day. He holds about 25 students in the palm of his hand, drawing information and analyses from each one like a magician. The little general from Corsica would have been impressed.

How did he get on in Egypt, Cronin asks, eyes twinkling as he scans the up-raised hands and the intent faces. "Ciara?" "Not too well," she says, timidly at first but with a bit of encouragement she elaborates. That's right, says Cronin, striding to the other side of the room.

What year did he become emperor? Cormac? 1804. "And what is significant about the crowning?" he asks. "That's right." "Now we saw how his empire spread, look at the map on page 202. OK Debbie? What country did not follow the continental system." Russia, Sir. And so it goes.

"There's a lovely freshness about these students," says Cronin. "They really are courteous kids." There are no senior students in the school - it opened only two years ago.

At the start of the class the second years essays about a day they will never forget are returned. Cronin has corrected 50 essays over the weekend, as well as history homework from Friday. Each exercise has been corrected with red biro. There are comments and exhortations in the margins. Cronin has also made a list of general comments for his class - how to approach the next essays, use quotation marks for direct speech, paragraph indents...

Next class a troop of first years come in. "Suigi sios," he says. It's seachtain na Gaellge. Their letters to a person they admire are returned, again with praise and encouragement. Cronin explains that `mol an oige' is tiocfaidh si is the school motto.

The bell goes at 11.40 a.m. There is no break for coffee. It's Tuesday and John Cronin has been in school since 8.10 a.m. He has photocopied material for use later in the afternoon with the second years, who are going to have a refresher course on study techniques.

He is on lunch-time supervision from 12.20 until 1.20 p.m. "I'm free from 1.20 p.m. to 2 p.m. But I want to get the video set up. In the study seminar I want to impress on them how time passes very quickly."

Cronin is year head of the 106 second-year students. At 8.50 a.m. he has a five-minute assembly with this large group, which comprises four classes. He has prepared his short talk the evening before. His theme is respect. "That ties in with what the pastoral care teachers are talking to them about," he explains.

He also talks to them about a debating league which is coming up and "there's been a little bit of name-calling going on. It'll just nip it in the bud," he explains.

From 8.50 a.m. to 9 a.m. he visits each class to wish them good morning and check on anyone who is absent. "Usually I have to follow up on one or two things that happened on Friday.

Classes finish at 4 p.m. "We're meeting the student council on Wednesday. There are eight on it - two from each class.

"I find as year head that if I can get every one of the things that I want to do done during the day, then it would be a miracle day. But I do actually love teaching. There's no doubt."