Back to School Nightmares

T

Tired Teacher

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Does anyone else deal with these? As school nears, I start getting them.
Last night I dreamed I was in a tiny tin trailer. My kids were young again (about 12-13) and 1 of my son's friends was living with us.
Then a lady came by and dropped her 4 kids off with me saying she could not take care of them anymore. 2 of them were in diapers. I put the 4 in a tiny bedroom because they were asleep.
Then it continued with more people dumping their kids off on me. The tiny trailer was filled with kids.
Then terror struck me. The lady with the 4 kids had not left diapers.
I started checking my $ and all I had was a 5 dollar bill and change. I felt really awful not having diapers for the 2 who would need them soon, but couldn't leave and figured I did not have enough $ for diapers. I ended up "snapping" saying something rude to my son's friend because I knew he had $ and time to get diapers, but wasn't helping. Then I felt horrible about snapping at him. I am afraid to go asleep...lol
 
I think most people have one or two. The most bizarre one I had was that I was late the first day. I didn't have time to shower or put on make up. I wore one of my husband's t-shirts belted like a dress (he's a lot taller than me so it was knee length) and no bra. I showed up that way and found I had 3 student teachers in my room and no desks. Kids were rolling on the floor and the student teachers kept following me around the room making now about everything I did and said. It was the weirdest dream.
 
QueenBee4th said:
I think most people have one or two. The most bizarre one I had was that I was late the first day. I didn't have time to shower or put on make up. I wore one of my husband's t-shirts belted like a dress (he's a lot taller than me so it was knee length) and no bra. I showed up that way and found I had 3 student teachers in my room and no desks. Kids were rolling on the floor and the student teachers kept following me around the room making now about everything I did and said. It was the weirdest dream.
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I could actually picture your outfit and smiled! Oh, the 3 student teachers following you around taking notes while the kids rolled on the floor must have been icing on the cake. I have had a few where I feel like everyone is watching to see what I'm doing too. That was a weird dream! :)
 
creativemonster said:
Yep. Mine started last week. Back when I was a student I never would have guessed that my teachers were having the teacher version of my student nightmares!
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I would never have thought about it either, but every year, I get at least 1. Last yr was a tough yr, so maybe that is why I am getting more than usual.
 
mrsf70 said:
School nightmares start around mid-July every year. Absolutely hate them, but they stop once school starts, thank goodness.
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Oh, you poor thing! Mid- July! Mine do not start until I start feeling it is coming closer. ( mid-August)
 
This thread seems to have triggered mine! Mine are always on the theme of not being able to find, or not having access to, something important. I can't find my classroom; I don't have a schedule or a class list; I can't find the school building; I'm trying to call someone for a solution and can't dial the number....
 
No teaching nightmares lately but in the past I dreamed that I was teaching in a new school and didn't know where anything was. By the time I figured everything out the day was over LOL
Also, I dreamed that I couldn't get into my locker a few times (I haven't had a locker in 25 years LOLOL).
 
When I was a student (1,000 years ago or maybe a little less), I definitely had nightmares. The nightmares occurred once within 2 weeks before school began and occurred when I did not know particular information. Nowadays, as a teacher, my nightmare a few days before the first day of school: I walk into my classroom and find 30 big children. I assume I am in a high school. Then, a rooster (yes, you read that right. A rooster.) tells me I am teaching Trigonometry and I was given the bad kids. Fortunately, I wake up...realize it is still late August and that I am a Special Education teacher.
LOL...maybe I should try teaching trigonometry in that dream. I mean, it is my dream....maybe I magically know a thing or two about trigonometry.
 
MrsC said:
This thread seems to have triggered mine! Mine are always on the theme of not being able to find, or not having access to, something important. I can't find my classroom; I don't have a schedule or a class list; I can't find the school building; I'm trying to call someone for a solution and can't dial the number....
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I think most of mine have a theme too. Usually, mine have to do w/ total lack of control of anything. I like to figure my dreams out when I can. After thinking mine through, the lack of diapers, thought of dirty ones, and getting zero help provoked the strongest feelings in my dream. I figured the meaning behind it out better last night w/a friend. We had a good laugh over it all! :)
 
TeacherNY said:
No teaching nightmares lately but in the past I dreamed that I was teaching in a new school and didn't know where anything was. By the time I figured everything out the day was over LOL
Also, I dreamed that I couldn't get into my locker a few times (I haven't had a locker in 25 years LOLOL).
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Not knowing important things, feeling lost, lack of control, showing up dressed inappropriately seem to be common in these dreams. It is strange how things (like your locker and my son's old friend) from our past end up in the dreams too.
 
Teacher234 said:
When I was a student (1,000 years ago or maybe a little less), I definitely had nightmares. The nightmares occurred once within 2 weeks before school began and occurred when I did not know particular information. Nowadays, as a teacher, my nightmare a few days before the first day of school: I walk into my classroom and find 30 big children. I assume I am in a high school. Then, a rooster (yes, you read that right. A rooster.) tells me I am teaching Trigonometry and I was given the bad kids. Fortunately, I wake up...realize it is still late August and that I am a Special Education teacher.
LOL...maybe I should try teaching trigonometry in that dream. I mean, it is my dream....maybe I magically know a thing or two about trigonometry.
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The 1 about not knowing info as a student was 1 of my NM's as a kid too. I remember dreaming that I'd shown up only to find out we were having a big test, I had forgotten, and not studied. I wonder if the 30 kids being big doesn't symbolize how much more control/power kids have nowadays. HMMMM..I wonder who the rooster symbolizes....Any ideas? :) Oh, having to teach Trig to the" bad kids" would be a nightmare for sure. Maybe you should try to sleep longer and see if you could magically teach it if the dream ever returns. I love to roll over and finish dreams when possible. :)
 
Tired Teacher said:
The 1 about not knowing info as a student was 1 of my NM's as a kid too. I remember dreaming that I'd shown up only to find out we were having a big test, I had forgotten, and not studied. I wonder if the 30 kids being big doesn't symbolize how much more control/power kids have nowadays. HMMMM..I wonder who the rooster symbolizes....Any ideas? :) Oh, having to teach Trig to the" bad kids" would be a nightmare for sure. Maybe you should try to sleep longer and see if you could magically teach it if the dream ever returns. I love to roll over and finish dreams when possible. :)
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Lol... The high schooler kids is because I really would hate to work with high schoolers all year long. I have done it before (about 17 years ago) and it was not really for me. I love my special ed class (have been teaching it for 10 years now)! Trigonometry is something I have never taught before.
 
My back to school dreams have always been a thermometer of my anxiety, uncertainty and later on my growing confidence. I wouldn't call them nightmares, but they were eye openers. Luckily I always knew what they meant.
The interesting thing is that every single dream was very real like. Actual real students or teachers with the right names / right faces, right location, time frame, nothing stood out as odd as they often do in dreams.

I remember back in 2010 during student teaching the dream had me writing the objectives on the board after class started and the principal walked in. That principal was very big on objectives / written right, having them on the board, etc, and she was not very approachable. so that was a little anxiety. I don't remember the more actual dreams from the next couple of years, but the years when I've had this job (2013 to today), the dreams always addressed my fear of losing control of the students, chaos, not listening t me, etc. Not very scary, and not very unrealistic either. Often it was the first day school and the kids ignored me.

Then in 2016 the dream I had was similar, kids loud, actually some were standing on a desk, I've had twice the amount of kids, the location was actually off but somehow I was in control, and confident and nothing fell apart. This dream was the least life like but I t told me that I was finally confident in my abilities to manage my classes, and not aim for perfect, but manageable. And under control.

The years after were like that, nothing nightmarish at all.
Now that I'm teaching independent study, my stress level is at 0. I did have a dream though a couple of weeks ago, with an actual student, everything just like in real life and we just kept talking about her summer instead of hurrying up and filling out all the paperwork we needed. I remember looking down on the papers and thinking, there's no way we'll be done in time, I need to b e better prepared, but oh well, it's all good.
 
Mine are always that the kids refuse to do what I ask, or are leaving the room wily-nily, or things like that. It's always about me not being able to do my job.
 
Linguist92021 said:
This dream was the least life like but I t told me that I was finally confident in my abilities to manage my classes, and not aim for perfect, but manageable. And under control.
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Actual real students or teachers with the right names / right faces, right location, time frame, nothing stood out as odd as they often do in dreams.


Linguist,
That is cool your dreams have worked themselves away from lack of control. It is great the dream made you feel that you were confident in your abilities. You want to switch dreams? lol
I think it'd be fun to teach independent studies. You are very fortunate. We have a few jobs like IS here, but they seem to be for the coaches.
My dreams mix people up from different states, or places with current people and are usually chaotic this time of yr.
The dreams have been multiplied I think by not knowing if we go on strike or not soon. At the end of the year, teachers voted on their willingness to strike. ( The vote was an overwhelming, " Yes!") Because of the way our health insurance works, we have to go to work the first 2 days.
During that time, we vote again. The third day a strike will start if everyone votes the same. I just wish I knew for sure what was going to happen.
 
tchr4vr said:
Mine are always that the kids refuse to do what I ask, or are leaving the room wily-nily, or things like that. It's always about me not being able to do my job.
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Teacher 4vr, Kid's refusal or not hearing me is in my dreams a lot too. Also, the crazy running around is in them too at times. :)
 
Teacher234 said:
Lol... The high schooler kids is because I really would hate to work with high schoolers all year long. I have done it before (about 17 years ago) and it was not really for me. I love my special ed class (have been teaching it for 10 years now)! Trigonometry is something I have never taught before.
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I feel the same about JR High and most HS classes. I have never taught them, but had to do group and individual counseling sessions with them. Usually, they were cool 1 on 1, but those kids were like a pack of wolves when put together! :)
When 1 first moved here, jobs were very scarce, but you could get bush jobs easily. ( You have to fly out and live there.) I considered it when I was starting to run low on $.
So I called 1 P and talked to him. He asked me if I could teach Calculus. ( I have taught 3rd grade most of my life...lol) It paid really well and I needed $, but before the call was over, I knew I could never teach it. After I told, him I really could not teach it, he called me back about an hour later and asked, "Do you think you could follow along with the book?" I had to be honest! I could not follow the book even! :)
 
Tired Teacher said:
Linguist,
That is cool your dreams have worked themselves away from lack of control. It is great the dream made you feel that you were confident in your abilities. You want to switch dreams? lol
I think it'd be fun to teach independent studies. You are very fortunate. We have a few jobs like IS here, but they seem to be for the coaches.
My dreams mix people up from different states, or places with current people and are usually chaotic this time of yr. .
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Just to clarify my dreams have switched from unsure to confident while I was still teaching in a classroom (alternative ed, difficult students). so that was great to see that I kept improving.''

Since I switched to independent study (so that would be 2 summers with potential back to school dreams) the dreams have reduced. This year I think I only had this one, and I don't even remember last years. Definitely showing the decrease of stress.

Teaching independent study is definitely fun. It's a lot of paperwork, that seemed outrageous when I did it for the summer 6 years ago, but it's not so bad when you do it every day. And if it takes the place of stress and student misbehavior, I take that anytime.
We are still looking to hire one independent study teacher, just saying :)
 
Now that I teach year-round, my nightmares have lessened, but I still have some crazy ones that I have to go back to my junior high school (which was a nightmare in itself) because I skipped completing a chemistry class. It's always chemistry, it's always that junior high, and it happened again last night.
 
Tired Teacher said:
I feel the same about JR High and most HS classes. I have never taught them, but had to do group and individual counseling sessions with them. Usually, they were cool 1 on 1, but those kids were like a pack of wolves when put together! :)
When 1 first moved here, jobs were very scarce, but you could get bush jobs easily. ( You have to fly out and live there.) I considered it when I was starting to run low on $.
So I called 1 P and talked to him. He asked me if I could teach Calculus. ( I have taught 3rd grade most of my life...lol) It paid really well and I needed $, but before the call was over, I knew I could never teach it. After I told, him I really could not teach it, he called me back about an hour later and asked, "Do you think you could follow along with the book?" I had to be honest! I could not follow the book even! :)
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I have taught high school and middle school before (more than 12 years ago). I teach 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade and have been for the last 10 years. I could probably teach Calculus, but then again...I had experience with Calculus.
 
Linguist92021 said:
Just to clarify my dreams have switched from unsure to confident while I was still teaching in a classroom (alternative ed, difficult students). so that was great to see that I kept improving.''

Since I switched to independent study (so that would be 2 summers with potential back to school dreams) the dreams have reduced. This year I think I only had this one, and I don't even remember last years. Definitely showing the decrease of stress.

Teaching independent study is definitely fun. It's a lot of paperwork, that seemed outrageous when I did it for the summer 6 years ago, but it's not so bad when you do it every day. And if it takes the place of stress and student misbehavior, I take that anytime.
We are still looking to hire one independent study teacher, just saying :)
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Linguist, That is amazing that they switched while you were in the classroom. I had a dream last night that was a good one involving school. It had nothing to do w/ confidence, but with an unexpected move.
Instead of switching dreams, I am now thinking to ask, How about switching lives?....Joking! I think I might be at a point now that paperwork looks like fun compared to some behaviors.
I really think I'd enjoy teaching IS, but it is not even an option for me where I am at. It is OK though because I am either going to be done at the end of this yr or next.
 
Teacher234 said:
I have taught high school and middle school before (more than 12 years ago). I teach 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade and have been for the last 10 years. I could probably teach Calculus, but then again...I had experience with Calculus.[/QUOTE
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Teacher234 said:
I have taught high school and middle school before (more than 12 years ago). I teach 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade and have been for the last 10 years. I could probably teach Calculus, but then again...I had experience with Calculus.
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If nothing else, you'd have been able to at least follow the book! :) Depending on the district, some of those bush jobs pay well and include teacher housing/ heating and flights out for holidays. There are huge drawbacks to many of those jobs though. Some communities are hostile towards nonnative people and you are really isolated.
The people I know who enjoyed teaching or being P's out there were all big males who liked to hunt, fish, coach, and had the ability to really roll with the punches, but could stand their ground too. I have known many female teachers who quit after 1 year and came back looking shell shocked. They probably did not do their homework though before accepting jobs out there. You really have to know the community before going, I think.
 
catnfiddle said:
Now that I teach year-round, my nightmares have lessened, but I still have some crazy ones that I have to go back to my junior high school (which was a nightmare in itself) because I skipped completing a chemistry class. It's always chemistry, it's always that junior high, and it happened again last night.
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Cat,
Oh, no! Sorry it got you last night. Jr high must have had a big impact on you. We went to an excellent elementary school, but the junior high there was a feeder school. Kids came from some rough areas.( It turned out the school placed kids according to ability, so most of us from my elementary school were still in the same classes together. )
I remember a nightmare I had the summer of 6th grade. I think older kids liked to scare us w/ tales of gruesome fights..
Do you like teaching year round? If it cuts down on these nightmares, it must be OK. :) Do you get weeks at a time off during the school year? Our school tried it 1 yr, but it did not continue. The poor teachers who agreed to try it, ended up missing their final break and started the next yr exhausted.
 
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