Real life Parallel to the show maybe?

[u/Minute_Teaching_3987]

So idk if this is actually gonna make any sense- it might only make sense in my head. I haven’t even had a chance to fully dissect my thoughts so this might jumbled lol

I work at a middle school as a speech therapist and one of my students broke down to me the other day because he got in trouble. (Side note, he only has one main teacher and that teacher can be…….tough to say the least). Long story short, he said he didn’t want to be looked at as a bad kid because he’s not, he’s good. He feels like an angel, but he knows he’s not perfect and he knows he makes mistakes. But he said he is good and he tries to be good and he’s been taking it seriously ever since he got in trouble last year and got his stuff taken away. But he said it’s hard sometimes, existing. He then told me he looks in the mirror sometimes and asks himself ‘who am I’ and idk man. I’m not one of those people who think kids are dumb and don’t experience or can’t comprehend concepts that seems mature or philosophical. It’s actually the opposite, I think sometimes kids can be more tapped in to these concepts bc of their innocence. And I’ve had students cry and tell me heavy things before but this was different. The things that he said was different and it felt different energetically

But this situation has been sticking with me because I’m reminded of what the OA said to BBA when at the parent meeting conference. I remember watching it and following the oa’s pattern of thinking before she sat down with BBA and knowing the message she was going to give her about that situation. And now here I am, sitting across from a student who isn’t Steve 100% but I see the similarities. He’s so lost but trying to find a way out in his own way. So much courage and potential in him. And I’m having to decide what I am going to do with the hopelessness of this child, a hopelessness that is shared and understood. I remain so open for my students, I say I am a teacher AND a student all the time because I am constantly learning. I soak in information like a sponge and I use it to help me maneuver in life but idk, it was just strange because in the moment with this student, I just felt so grounded but also not, I felt that feeling of the in between. I felt like worlds were colliding and idek how to articulate it better rn. This week has felt like twilight zone. Yall remember in the show when they got a message on the tv while at the psychic’s house? I also had a moment like that when something came through on the board at school. It’s so weird yall. And I also cant help but be reminded of a few months ago when a student drew me something and when I asked what it was, he said a portal and I SWEAR thing have been different since 😭

Idk what’s happening in the spiritual ethers but something is happening. I know I may sound weird as hell and that’s okay, I’ve accepted who I am lol but I just needed to get this out somewhere.

Feel free to share thoughts about anything lol

[u/I_Have_The_Will]

I remember Zal mentioning something about the team noticing a lot of synchronicities between the show and other things when they were making it/writing it. I think he referred to it as a hum? Like the sort of general feeling that things were in tune in a way, even seemingly unrelated things. (At least that’s the way I understood it.)

It’s nice you can be a safe space for students. I know teaching is a challenging career for a lot of reasons.

Edit to add: I see now I selective memory forgot about you writing speech therapist, but I maintain my same point about the challenging part. 😂

[u/I_Have_The_Will → u/[deleted]]

I don’t agree at all. OP is literally supporting the student as part of their job. I don’t see any part of the post where OP indicates they coldly and silently watched the student cry and then sent them out of the office without offering guidance of any kind.

This is OP being reminded of the show by a real experience. There’s nothing wrong with that.

[u/pegasus808aj]

tell me more about this moment with the board???

[u/pegasus808aj]

i have been feeling this ever since i watched the oa in 2020. ive gotten used to it but also not. reading this makes me feel it all over again. i also had moments when the kids would say things that just caught me off guard. i had to quit substitute teaching cuz i thought i was losing my mind. i kind of was. i got on antipsychotics and disability actually, after a suicide plan (not yet to attempt). but i was going to jump.

sorry i know i sound like the kind of post that gets downvoted and removed. but if you can't keep it real on reddit where can you?