I had the weirdest waking dream yesterday morning.
I found myself back in the world of teaching. (I haven't actually done any classroom teaching in nearly a year now - oh joy, oh bliss) Chinese students. Two quite large classes of 30 or so each.
My fellow teacher was Eric Morecambe! (Late, much-lamented English comedian - a fabulous entertainer.) I was a little surprised to find him alive, and youthful and healthy - and a teacher. I was just a mite sceptical about whether he was qualified, would be any good at the job. But, you know, it's a dream - you just sort of accept things. And I didn't really have a chance to speak to him before the first class, to find out why he was there.
My class does not go well. No books, disaffected students, ramshackle discipline - I am wading through treacle trying to get them to pay attention, and not wander off to make phone calls or take loo breaks (i.e., cigarette breaks) whenever they feel like it.
But then, things suddenly go strangely quiet when I've turned my back for a moment to write something on the board. I turn around, and find the classroom suddenly empty. I think I've seen Eric once or twice lurking outside the classroom door (always open, for some reason), heard him whispering, cracking jokes, making sympathetic eye-contact with some of the students near the door. I immediately figure out he is responsible somehow for the mass disappearance of my students.
So, I go next door to his classroom - and find the students all there enjoying a lesson with him. It seems that no students had turned up to his class, so he thought he'd just come and poach mine!
Strange, no? I mean, it does sound very much like an anxiety dream - but I am one of the least anxious people you will ever meet; particularly in regard to my teaching, about which I have always felt robustly self-confident. Perhaps it is a mark of my enormous self-confidence (arrogance?) that only the funniest man in the world can compete with me in the classroom?? Then again, perhaps it's something else entirely....
Oh, what does it all mean, Doctor?
5 comments:
It means you miss all your guy friends.
Well, maybe.
Although it's hard to see any point of identification between a class-full of surly Chinese teenagers and my guy friends.
And who or what could the Pied Piper/Eric Morecambe figure possibly represent?
Eric is Rugby.
Your students (whose attention you can't seem to hold) are your guy friends.
I recon Eric's your mental 'joker in the pack'. We are all meant to have one I think? He is there to give you are hard time but as you say you don't suffer insecurity so he is just there to limber you up keep you on your toes.
Maybe its about your guy friends but I doubt it - they'll be back. It seems more general to me. Maybe your missing teaching, deep, deep down. After all it is amazing if you have a true vocation for it.
Anyhow, maybe the kids didn't leave your class?
(And if you believe all I just wrote then... But as you were wondering I thought I'd give it a try.
I'm not into dream therapy. I just enjoy remembering them and even the horrid ones can be thrilling in retrospect. It amazes me how some repeat over many years. Of course as we all know the erotic ones are the best.)
On reflection, I can see where many of the elements of this dream came from. Analysis of it is probably worth another post or two all to itself, but I think I'll leave that for another few days - while readers chip in their two penn'orth of idle speculation.
Moonrat, Weasley, Earthling, we're waiting for you.
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