FRIDAY THE 13TH

 

Happy Friday the 13th! 

Except is it happy?

There are stories throughout history and in several cultures that talk about the number 13 as being unlucky and how it's even more unlucky when the date falls on a Friday. 

Where do these come from?

One depiction of 13 as an unlucky number comes from Christian mythology in The Last Supper when the 13th guest was Judas who later betrayed Jesus. In another from Norse mythology the number 13 becomes unlucky when Loki crashes a party, bringing the number of gods to 13. 

Friday is considered especially unlucky according to the Christian Bible with it being the day that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, the day that Cain murdered Abel, Noah's flood beginning, and the toppling of the Temple of Solomon. 

However it wasn't until the 19th century that Friday the 13th became the harbinger of unlucky lore that it is today, and if we dig further we find that both the number 13 and Friday are said to be lucky and even blessed days. These days and numbers are often associated with the divine feminine in many cultures. So is it misogyny that has rooted them in bad luck?

Whatever you believe I hope that today is beautiful for you. 

IN WHICH I TALK ABOUT MY DECISION TO LEAVE TEACHING

 

my very first classroom

When I made the decision to leave teaching for good in 2021, it was a relief. I had left a few times previously, but I always went back because I missed it. I taught for eight complete years, and in 2021 I left a few months into the school year. I thought I'd regret or feel bad about choosing to leave mid-first semester, but all I felt was relief. 

I started in January of 2013 at an alternative school. It was hard and amazing and wonderful. From there I moved into traditional schools and found my niche was with low SES schools connecting with kids who were struggling. I wanted to help them. I wanted to make sure they knew that someone believed in them and knew they could achieve great things. I loved my students, and I keep in touch with many of them still today. It's a privilege to see them accomplish things in their life and be able to be a part of that. 

I think my disconnect with teaching came my last year teaching in Oklahoma. I was teaching junior high students, and everyday during fifth hour Language Arts two students sat on the floor by my desk after the lesson during independent work time. They would do their work and chat with me. It was one of my favorite parts of the day. 

Then came the day when the principal called me to let me know that one of those students had killed himself. It was devastating for everyone. I still think about him and wish he was able to experience life. I wish I could have taken his pain. 

I taught for a year after that when we moved to Arizona, but I found myself guarded. I liked my students, but I didn't let myself connect like I had previously. I wasn't as good of a teacher because of this. Sure I still taught them what they needed to know and treated them well. It just wan't the same because I couldn't reach those struggling kids the way they needed to be reached. I was scared to feel that hurt again. The hurt of losing one. Of not being able to reach one. 

When I attempted to go back in 2021 it was hard. The guardedness was still there. I knew I didn't want to be there. Then my grandfather died. He raised me, so that hit me really hard. I was relieved when after we got back from Florida that I had a positive Covid test because that meant that in addition to my week of bereavement I would be out for a mandatory ten days. I taught via zoom for the majority of those days. But I knew I did not want to go back. I knew that my mental and physical health was not up to the task of teaching. 

I sent in a resignation and it was denied. 

I was in shock. Who doesn't accept a resignation? I was told by the district that in order to break my contract I needed to pay them a $1000 fee. After getting letters from both my psychiatrist and a general practitioner, I informed them that I was not paying that and asked why they would want to force a teacher who was struggling with their mental and physical health into a classroom? They had no good answer and released me from my contract. 

Honestly, my experience teaching at that high school in the Tucson metro area was the worst one. During my time there I was consistently harassed by my assistant cheer coach (who has since been arrested for embezzling money from the cheer team - that happened after she became head coach after I left) as well as her husband. I was emotionally exhausted from fighting her on everything to then also fighting to build a successful cheer program and teach a subject I'd never taught before and had very little background in. 

Sometimes I still miss teaching. I miss connecting with students. I miss seeing their AHA moments. But I know that part of my life is over. I will cherish the connections I made for the rest of my life, and I will always be there for any past students. I will celebrate them and cheer for them. 

I will share with new teachers to be careful about how much of yourself you give because it is emotionally exhausting. We need good teachers, and we need ones who don't burn out because they give everything for a system that gives them nothing. I do consider going back to get my PhD to teach at a collegiate level. But it's a lot of work, so I want to make sure it's something I really want to do. 

I loved my time teaching secondary education, and I look fondly on the majority of my memories. It was hard and rewarding. I hope everyone gets to experience something like it during their lifetime. 

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RHONDA REVIEWS: SCHOOL SPIRITS

I had been seeing this show advertised on Netflix for awhile, but since it only had eight episodes and was on season one I was hesitant to watch. Too many times I've been taken in by a show on Netflix only to have it cancelled after a season or two leaving me wondering what happened to my beloved characters. But one night I took the chance and dived in to watching School Spirits. 

There may be minor spoilers ahead, but nothing major. Just some character references about how I feel about them! 

It was a little different than I first thought it was going to be, but I loved it. There were some predictable moments in it, but then there were some really unpredictable ones as well. I loved how the show leaned into some stereotypes of typical high school cliches, but then showed depth to those characters as well. I appreciated how they showcased that despite the difference in time periods that these teens were in school that teenage and young adult problems are quite similar. Something to think about when we assume that an older or younger generation is so vastly different from ours. 

I was happy to find that they did renew for a second season, and I was bummed to find out that I'll have to wait until 2025 to find out what happens to everyone. 

My favorite character is Rhonda (obvi), but I also really like Charley. I like that although the main focus of the show is on helping Maddie find out what happened to her we still get really great insights into the other characters lives and their tragedies. Mr. Martin is the least liked character, followed by Maddie's mother who infuriates me to a beyond I cannot describe. Sheriff Baxter also has his fair share of pissing me off. 

Overall, I thought the show was really well paced,  and it definitely kept me wanting to watch more at the end of each episode. They ended the season on a great cliffhanger and IMO are taking too long to get the next season to us. 

This review is not sponsored by anyone (but it could be!) and all views are my own (even if I got sponsored that would remain the same). 

Happy binge watching! 

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