I heard earlier this month that my old Standard Grade biology teacher, Mr McPhail, had passed away. I was taken aback by the news. In a WhatsApp group with a few old schoolfriends, we shared stories about him, and what struck me was that they were all about Mr McPhail the man, not his teaching philosophy or pedagogy.

Here’s what we talked about:

1. His anecdotes to help us remember things

I can’t remember much about what aspects of biology he taught now, but I remember the anecdotes, be they about linking smooth surfaces with rollerblading in the Netherlands, or showing us his much-treasured Rolex watch as he explained kinetic energy. That sort of thing has stuck with me: whenever I see an adult rollerblading, I immediately think of him and, still to this day, he is the only person I have known who owns a Rolex. He managed to imprint bits of his life on to all of us in a bid to help us learn. In turn, I’ve always tried to share little bits of my life that will help with the learning process - it’s a skill I learned from him.

2. His decency

I remember there being a school disco one time, and a pupil in the class asking several teachers if we could hand homework in the day after so we could enjoy it. A few refused, but I vividly remember Mr McPhail making an effort to slot the homework for a different time to allow us to enjoy ourselves. It was a little thing and something he probably forgot about instantly, but I now make sure that if such a request comes from a pupil I consider making an allowance, like he did for us.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce: ‘Mr Biggs made me a puppeteer’

Kay Burley: ‘It’s thanks to Mrs Turner that I became a journalist’

Michael Rosen: ‘I’m immensely grateful for Mrs Pope’

Helen Glover: ‘Mrs Finch was never a drill sergeant’

Steve McQueen: ‘Miss Collins gave a shit’

3. His funny phrases

One thing we shared in the WhatsApp group was one of his famous phrases: “Bob’s your auntie”. It was pretty random and he seemed to say it all the time (maybe he hardly ever said it, but we certainly remember it). Pupils point out some of the more idiosyncratic things I say in class, and it always makes me think of Mr McPhail.

4. His dedication to teaching

Mr McPhail was never off sick, always smartly dressed and his lessons were always prepared. His blackboard was meticulous and all his resources were neat and accounted for. He was a classic, organised, chalk-front teacher. I’m nowhere near as organised or neat or as prepared as he always seemed to be, but I’m going to try to be more of those things.

It’s good to have a role model. Mr McPhail has sadly passed away, but he’ll always be a huge influence on my teaching. I’m starting a new job soon, and when I do, I’m going to make sure that, at some point, I say “Bob’s your auntie” - it’ll be my little tribute to a great teacher.

Adam Black is a teacher in Scotland who, in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list, received the British Empire Medal for raising awareness of stammering