- What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

Success comes in cans. Well it won’t come in cannots.

- What’s your proudest achievement?

Writing a class Christmas musical containing 11 original songs, then the next year recording two of the songs in a professional studio. The A-side was described on local radio as “one of the best of the Christmas releases”, then at Easter my acrobaticsinging bunch became part of the town arts festival programme, A Touch of Fantasy.

- What one thing would change your life for the better?

A better memory. It has held me back.

- What is the song of your life?

It would have to be one that I penned myself called “Greetings”.

- Who do you most admire?

Paul Simon, the songwriter, for his craftsmanship and integrity.

- What’s the last book you read?

Teacher, Teacher, an autobiographical story by Jack Sheffield, reminding me of a bygone era.

- Who would play you in the film of your life?

An unknown actor. Someone famous would contradict the storyline.

- What’s the secret about teaching that the wider world doesn’t know?

I have a secret about teaching maths that I cannot yet tell, in case I develop and market it. It would be a ground-breaking way of helping slower learners.

- Where in the world would you most like to visit?

It’s October, Minneapolis-St Paul. The Minnesota Twins are playing at home in the baseball World Series, I am watching them take the honours, having beaten the Yankees to the final hurdle.

- If you could meet anyone from history, who would it be?

Bringing with me a 21st-century mindset, probably Jesus, to discuss timeless questions.

- Apart from the job, what three things are the most important to you?

Principles, lifekind, the planet. Divorce finished the role of family.

- What do you wish you’d known when you started teaching that you know now?

Educational fashions are recursive and we spend too much time targeting relative weaknesses, to the detriment of other aspects. A principled and balanced approach would save money and be more effective.

- What’s the big question about life that you would most like answered?

Have we (humanity), understood our heritage correctly? Where do we go from here?

David Howse, 60, is a primary-trained teacher with more than 30 years’ experience, living in Evesham, Worcestershire, and working in supply.