The 6 Teachings From The Rita Series (to Apply To Your Life)
“Rita”, a Danish series released in 2012 , can be categorized as a dramatic comedy that shows the personal and professional experiences of its protagonist (Rita Madsen). This teacher who works in the Danish public school, already close to forty years old and outspoken, has an innate tendency to go against established norms.
During its four seasons broadcast to date (and without official confirmation regarding its renewal or definitive termination), the plot explains in a reflective and critical way the problems and vicissitudes that may intrinsically arise. in the performance of teaching work as well as other types of crossroads, conflicts and personal and interpersonal experiences that the protagonist experiences in her most familiar and sentimental environment.
Taking into consideration that as it is a series in which the outcome of some of the situations exposed throughout its 32 chapters may present a resolution that is at some point simpler than the one that could occur in real life, the truth is that the explanation that the scriptwriters make about how to manage topics such as parental overprotection of children, questioning of the teaching figure by families, bullying, acceptance of different sexual orientations, etc., allows for an act of reflection on what type of values support today’s society.
In fact, Rita usually uses an unorthodox methodology, generating enmity or confrontation with the rest of the adults (such as her co-workers, the students’ parents, family and friends) although on the other hand, She seems to be highly valued and loved by the group of minors who attend her classes
What can the “Rita” series contribute?
Given the variety of issues raised by the series, let’s see what type of learning, values, teachings and reflections can generate following this peculiar and interesting television production, both within one’s own personal and individual emotional development, and in a more global and general about the way of understanding today’s society.
1. Give greater weight to moral aspects over legal aspects
Rita has a tendency to act independently and is rarely influenced by the opinions of others. An example of this is shown when she decides to take over the “co-tutorship” (unofficially speaking) of a teenager whose mother has bipolar disorder and decides not to report this situation so that the boy is not separated from his mother figure.
2. Actively confront the cause of the discomfort
Rita’s character does not miss a single opportunity to solve a school situation identified as problematic, getting involved and looking for alternatives on how to proceed if the option applied in the first place does not work. The teacher seems to defend a positive conception of “change” by not conforming to what is established just because it is usual or most comfortable.
An example of this is seen in the assumption that she herself makes about the sexual orientation of her youngest son Jeppe and how she confronts the situation with the parents of the couples that the boy presents at home.
3. Be consistent and accept the consequences of your own decisions
On many occasions the protagonist tries to convey to both the students and her own children that They must learn to decide for themselves and that every act is followed by a certain effect. He also defends how essential it is to base one’s choices taking these consequences into account, even if they mean giving up a benefit or imply a high personal cost.
In one of the problems exposed in the third season, Rita puts choosing the economic salvation of the school before keeping her job as a teacher and director. However, it is also true that in her role as her mother she presents some emotional deficiencies that negatively interfere with the manifestation of a responsible, mature and more cautious attitude.
4. Express and share both cognitions and feelings
Is something important to promote adequate emotional management This learning is one of those that Rita perhaps considers most complex to achieve, since in the first seasons a very significant emotional isolation is observed in her with respect to her own family, especially her children and her mother. she. Little by little, the teacher learns to establish more intimate interpersonal ties, being able to show more of her feelings towards the other, although she initially makes these approaches erratically.
5. Avoid falling into prejudice, stigmatization and unfounded criticism
In one of the chapters, Rita advocates defending a student with attention deficit when faced with an accusation of vandalism by the educational community. This requires him to act against the majority opinion and remain firm in his personal convictions. She will later defend until all possibilities are exhausted. maintaining a space of inclusion intended for a part of the students with learning difficulties and other adverse psychological characteristics.
Learn to forgive yourself, accept and learn from your own mistakes. This is undoubtedly one of the last lessons that Rita manages to internalize after re-encountering some traumatic events from the past that have taken a toll on her character and the way she functions in the interpersonal sphere. This is shown very evidently in the fourth season, where continuous moments of flashbacks present a rebellious teenage Rita with a major family problem on her back.
In conclusion
After this brief analysis of the contents included in the footage, it seems that the series offers an alternative perspective on how to deal with everyday situations that, both personally and professionally, can occur in the different interaction environments of the same individual. Although it is true that the character tends to trip over the same stone several times and that he usually finds himself in the crosshairs of the rest of the adults with whom he interacts, the teacher manages to teach his students (and the viewer) a series of values that go far beyond the academic content that other teachers in the series are willing to transmit.
Thus, every life situation is full of nuances that must be contextualized and taken into account in order, ultimately, to escape from the dichotomies and rigidity that are normally associated with the belief in certain conventions that lack practical sense regarding the tasks within the society. actual society.
