Dream On

I've always been interested in dreams. Most people are. You really have to spend some time collecting and working with them to get what there is to get from them. When I taught introductory psychology, my students could talk about their dreams for hours. Of course, most want to know what the dream means. The answer to that is ongoing. Dreams are constantly revealing new ideas, layers of meaning, developing and varied interpretations.
A few years ago when I was involved in a research collaborative of teachers I did a thematic study of the dreams of teachers and students. I was struck by the motifs in the dreams of young teachers as well as those of experienced veterans. Some of the images and issues were incredibly powerful. Experienced teachers often dreamed about class size, vulnerability (nudity, not knowing something) and being dispossessed. One second year teacher told me of a haunting dream where the floor of her classroom falls out; hardly the random firing of brain cells. So, when I retired from full-time teaching a year and a half ago I assumed my dreams would change. Not so. New themes have emerged. They continue to reveal and inspire. First it was a series where I did not retire, I'm back but have lost my classroom. I'm in three rooms just like my first year. Most recently, I was teaching a psychology class and I referred to a page in a text. The class is waiting for me to find the passage; I can't find the page in my book I keep looking and looking and they are being very patient, but I can't find the page; the number I'm looking for won't appear in my book. I love dreams.