We now have a minority liberal government. That means that our government in Ontario - who have been good to us (those in education) so far - will hopefully continue as is.
We were successful in keeping Hudak from having a lion's share. Unfortunately he still has a voice, but we have chosen the lesser of two evils.
I remember teaching civics (a course about government, citizenship and what roles that teens have in the future of both our country and world) and having a discussion of why people vote the way they do. I remember part of the discussion being about voting strategy; that sometimes people are aligned with a specific party, sometimes people get to vote for a person they believe in, but that most of the time people are voting for whatever the lesser of all the evils is. I remember that one student put up their hand and made a comment about how sad that was. I agreed, but also knew from my own experience that it was quite often the truth. I challenged them to do something about it if, when they reached the age of majority, they felt that their vote was going not to a party they felt that they could back wholeheartedly, or to a politician that they felt inspired by.
Last election a number of the students in that class were old enough to vote and many came to me voicing their frustration at the fact that they were voting for someone who they felt were going to "screw things up the least". They echoed the sentiment that many of us (who are often tired of voting for the lesser of all evils) feel. When will there be a leader who we are voting for because we feel that they will be great in power? I have been voting for 15 years now, and I am still looking for one.
Coincidentally, I have been teaching for 10 years and I have yet to teach under a principal for whom I feel the same. When I decided that my place was in the classroom, I felt that I could inspire and share my passion to new generations of students. I wanted to capture their interest and provide an environment where students could find their own voice through the skills I could share with them. That is my vision. I am not a visionary. I am waiting for a principal who has more passion about our school than about climbing the ladder. I am waiting for a principal who can unite the school staff as well as unite the students. I am waiting for a principal who wants to lead our school, not simply one who is placed on our rung on the educational ladder, so to speak.
Now, I know the simple answer is to climb the administrational ladder myself - become the principal I seek to follow. The problem is that this would require me to leave the classroom. It would mean that I would leave those students who I feel I can reach the best on a one-to-one level. As contrary as it sounds, I cannot follow my own advice, because it would mean abandoning what I am passionate about. A leader must have passion. So I must wait.
I wait for a principal who wants to lead my school and staff to great things for the sake of it (and not for another notch in their resume). Just as I await a day when I can say that I voted because I was passionate about the politician, and not because they were the one who will (to quote my student) "screw things up the least".
I await inspiration.
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