This morning I awoke from a very strange dream. Some of its symbolism is kind of obvious, whereas the rest of it boggles me.

I'm in grad school (or was) to become a licensed teacher with a masters degree. Well, I recently was unjustly failed for the student teaching component. I haven't disputed the "F" grade yet but plan to send an appeal via email this next week. I'm in my early 40s and like most Americans, tie my identity to my job. If I can't get the "F" removed from my transcript, I am scared that will make it impossible for me to use my Masters in Education.

Anyway, here's the most recent dream I had. Maybe it's symbolism will be more obvious knowing what my current academic situation is. But there's other details about the dream that I just can't figure out how to interpret.

Any help is appreciated.

The Dream:

I am at a school with middle school children and a few adults - all of whom are strangers to me. I don't know what my role there is either. I ask them, "why am I here?" and no one answers. It takes place in the late morning. And it's summer time outside.

The playground area of the school is a large acre of green grass, boxed in by 4 large buildings. I'm in a classroom with students, but still don't know what I'm doing there -- am I teaching them or am I just visiting? Then there is a lot of commotion.

So I run outside to see what's going on. Well, one of the buildings is crumbling (all the buildings are made of brick and mortar) and children and teachers are screaming. I'm standing at the top of cement steps with some students who are watching one of the 4 buildings crumble.

Then we notice some long-legged, green-glowing spiders crawling near us on the wall of the building we're standing outside of. We all scream as one of the spider's flings itself via its web, towards us, only brushing the edge of my hair but not actually landing on my head. We run toward the building that has collapsed.

We get inside and notice that it's filled with water. The water looks murky so we turn around to go back to the other building, but that one has crumbled too. One of the students suggests that we run across the green acre of grass to the other nearby building.

We get ready to do that, but the grass suddenly is filled with these green-glowing spiders and so I tell the students that our only escape is to swim down through the murky water to the underground tunnel system that connects all 4 of the buildings. We all jump into the murky water, holding each other's hands with me guiding them.

As we're swimming downward, I look back and notice one of the students let go and floated back up to the surface. Then the other students let go of my hands and only a couple of the students continue to follow me, but at a distance. We all make it to the underground tunnel. I check to see if they are alright and they are.

So we walk through the tunnel, which is dimly lit, until we reach the other building that we think is safe. When we get to the other building, some of the teachers there yell at me for making the decision to take the students into the water as opposed to through the green grass full of strange green-glowing spiders.

I try to defend my decision with a logical explanation to no avail. The teachers told me that the students could survive the spiders' bites since it was the quickest way across to the safe building. This upsets me, so I decide to leave the school. As I get into my car and drive away, the other two buildings crumble and the green-glowing spiders have taken over the last building.

I forgot to add. As I'm driving away, I feel irritated that the teachers question my ability (and credibility) to lead the students who were with me to safety. Then I think about the students and worry about them.

Okay so I did some research online and found some interesting interpretations:

The color Green in my dream: (the green grass and the green glowing insects):

Green signifies a positive change, good health, growth, fertility, healing, hope, vigor, vitality, peace, and serenity. The appearance of the color may also be a way of telling you to "go ahead". Alternatively, green is a metaphor for a lack of experience in some task.

To "be green" means that you are environmentally conscious. Green is also symbolic of your strive to gain recognition and establish your independence. Money, wealth and jealousy are often associated with this color.

the crumbling school buildings:

Decayed dirty or crumbling buildings indicate that your self-image has suffered. To see a building in ruins or damaged, indicates that your approach toward a situation or relationship is all wrong. You need to change. Your own self-image may have suffered and taken some blow.To see a building in your dream, represents the self and the body. How high you are in the building indicates a rising level of understanding or awareness. If you are in the lower levels of the building, then it refers to more primal attitudes and/or sexuality.

the murky water in my dream:

To see water in your dream symbolizes your subconscious and your emotional state of mind. Water is the living essence of the psyche and the flow of life energy. It is also symbolic of spirituality, knowledge, healing and refreshment. To see muddy or dirty water in your dream indicates that you are wallowing in your negative emotions. You may need to take some time to cleanse your mind and find internal peace. Alternatively, the dream suggests that your thinking/judgment is unclear and clouded. If you are immersed in muddy water, then it indicates that you are in over your head in a situation and are overwhelmed by your emotions. To dream that water is rising up in your house suggests that you are becoming overwhelmed by your emotions

the children or students in my dream:

To save a child in your dream signifies your attempts to save a part of yourself from being destroyed. If you dream that you are separated from your children, then it symbolizes failure in some personal endeavor or a setback in some ideal you had.

Still I'd like to hear from other people what you think. Obviously this dream is tied to my recent failure in my masters program.

[Thunder Bow]

The dream tells me you would be a good teacher! You are at odds with a school system who does not put the students well being first. Reflecting your real life situation. Try attending a different school to get away from those green spiders. Going through the murky waters indicates you are willing to take risks for the benefit of your students. You failed the test because you took the risk of Not giving the answers that you think they wanted. You followed your own heart and took the risk.

Thunder Bow that is an awesome dream interpretation! And I whole heartedly agree with you.

In my most recent student teaching placement, I only lasted 9 days at this public middle school because I came in an advanced teacher (prior community college teaching experience), which I think made the younger mentor teacher, who is only in her late 20s, feel insecure or intimidated.

But my fault was not cow-towing to her since she had the power in my situation. I let my ego and self confidence get in the way, so she freaked and failed me, so my program director failed me. Even my teaching advisor was pissed that I was failed because she taught for 35 years and noted in her formal observations of me last fall when I student taught a a high school, that I already displayed advanced teaching techniques. But she told me to pretend to be dumb so I could pass through the system. So I pretended last fall, and passed. But this spring, for some reason, I refused to pretend and got burned. So now I'm left with fighting to get the stupid "F" removed from my academic transcript.

I am a great teacher I think, but I don't fit the mold of what public school teachers are supposed to be like, and I don't give answers that I think they wanted because I wanted to just be myself. You're right. I took a risk and got burned. BUT...thanks to your savvy insight, now I see that I must fight to get this "F" removed so that I can go on to teach community college again. I think so anyway.

Thanks for the awesome interpretation. Made my day!

[Thunder Bow]

Thank You (Ahe'hee').