Teachers

One of the most heartwarming aspects of this campaign has been reconnecting with a number of my former teachers. I’ve actually knocked on a number of doors in the ward unsuspectingly, only to find pleasantly surprised teachers, including Mr. T, Mrs. B, Mr. C, Mrs. W, and Mr. M.

It was suggested that I shouldn’t identify them since many of them are still teaching, and politics in the classroom can be a tricky thing. However, at least a few of the green signs out on Ward 5 lawns belong to former teachers of mine.

I’ve also received a supportive email from Mr. L, a letter from Mr. V, a call from Mrs. L, and Mme. A’s daughter is volunteering for us. Dr. Carmichael from the U of A even supplied an endorsement statement for the website and main brochure—so anonymity is out of the question for him.

Meanwhile, Mr. W was kind enough to invite me back to Scona to speak to some social 30 classes on the theme of ‘one person can make a difference.’ While arranging things I thanked Mr. W especially for cultivating a rich, thought-provoking classroom environment, and let him know that he was among those to be thanked (or to be blamed) in some measure for the fact that I’m running. There was every chance I might have become an engineer, but his Social 30 class really steered me into the study of History and Poli Sci at university, and confirmed my interest in the questions of democracy and government.

But in actual fact, all the teachers and all the mentors over the years contributed to challenging me, enlightening me, and pushing me to ask hard questions and to see the bigger picture. So I offer a heartfelt thanks to all my teachers for helping to shape me.