A WRITER is hoping to find his former teacher after making a promise to her when he was just 11 years old. 

Kenny Boyle went to primary school in East Renfrewshire and is hoping to find "Mrs McGlennan", his primary seven teacher who was the first to support him with his writing.

The 37-year-old has written his debut book, The Tick and The Tock Of The Crocodile Clock, which will be released in May -  and he is determined to keep a promise he made to her.

In a thread on Twitter, Kenny wrote: "The last thing Mrs McGlennan said to me at the end of primary seven was 'promise when you get your first book published, you’ll send me a copy'.

"It’s been 26 years…and my first book is out in May. It’s about feeling like an outcast, and I really dearly want to keep my promise." 

Kenny grew up in the Isle of Lewis until he started primary school.
He lived in Giffnock during his school years and moved to Shawlands when studying at college and university. 

He explained his reasons for wanting to keep his promise in the lengthy Twitter thread posted earlier today. 

It read: "This might come as a surprise if you know me - maybe not - but I got in trouble quite a lot in primary school. I was always getting sent to the head teacher's office. I had two friends in primary school. One, thanks to preconceptions due to his family background, was the first person teachers blamed when anything happened.

"My other friend asked questions in class constantly. He was branded disruptive and poorly behaved. He wasn’t diagnosed as autistic until years later after he’d been kicked out of high school for the same things. 

"A teacher called my friend stupid - I swore at her. Got sent to the head teacher’s office.
Other children picked on my friends - I’d fight with them. Get sent to the head teacher’s office. Other children picked on me - my friends fought with them. We’d all get sent to the head teacher’s office.

"We’d sneak off the playground into the woods behind the school to get away from the bullies - get sent to the head teacher’s office.

"If I ever finished my work early I’d flip to the back of my wallpapered jotter and write stories. From a very young age I’d written stories for my parents, and now I did it all the time. I’d sit in class and write or draw characters in the margins of my maths work.

READ MORE: Plans for nearly 50 new homes in Glasgow's Southside revealed

"My teacher at the time considered it vandalism and so off to the head teacher’s office I would go. Our teacher in primary school was fired. She hadn’t taught us at all for a year or more, just handed out worksheets filled with work we had to figure out on our own. We were all a year behind. My friends had fallen behind more than me, and both got moved to a different class. They were 'bad influences' who I was 'better without'. 

"I was friendless and alone in my class with no idea who would even be our teacher when we came back the next term. Over the summer I wrote a story. I worked so so hard on it. It was only three pages long but I agonised and agonised over every single word. I was so proud of it. My parents were so proud of me for writing it! It took me all summer. I was nine. 

"When I came back to school I met my new teacher. Mrs McGlennan. I was proud of my story and I wanted to share it, so I showed her it.

"Mrs McGlennnan took my story, read it wordlessly, wrote a note… and then sent me to the head teacher’s office. I was devastated as I walked to the office. I’d done nothing wrong this time. I’d worked so hard.

"My head teacher greeted me with a familiar sigh. She took the note. The note said 'I want you to read this story Kenny has written. It shows real ability. I think Kenny deserves recognition for his hard work'.

"Mrs McGlennan knew the head teacher had met me many times for bad reasons, she wanted me to meet her for a good one. She was the first teacher I ever had that made me feel like writing wasn’t wasting my time.

"My head teacher entered me into a young writers completion. I didn’t win - honourable mention though! Winning wasn’t the important part. The important part was they’d entered me. I’d represented the whole school. 

"Mrs McGlennan helped with the things pupils struggled at and elevated them for their strengths. My parents had always supported my writing, this was the first teacher who had. The difference she made was immeasurable. I didn’t dread going to school anymore. I wanted to." 

The determined writer and actor is appealing for help to find Mrs McGlennan to send her a copy of his book to keep the promise made 26 years ago.

UPDATE:  'She’s 74 and she’s still teaching': Writer to meet up with former teacher after successful appeal

Kenny's debut novel follows an aspiring writer from the Southside of Glasgow, who is in a rut, but finds consolation in a surprise friendship with a disgruntled ex-colleague.