The 6 teachings of the Rita series (to apply to your life)

This Danish series brings alternative approaches to teaching to the table.

"Rita", a Danish series premiered in 2012.can be categorized as a dramatic comedy that shows the personal and professional experiences of its protagonist (Rita Madsen). This Danish public school teacher, now in her late forties and outspoken, has an innate tendency to go against the established norms.

During its four seasons broadcast to date (and without official confirmation of its renewal or definitive termination), the plot explains in a reflective and critical way the problems and vicissitudes that can arise intrinsically in the performance of teaching work. in the performance of the teaching professionThe series is also about other types of crossroads, conflicts and personal and interpersonal experiences that the protagonist lives in her more familiar and sentimental environment.

A fiction focused on the educational task

Taking into consideration that being a series in which the outcome of some of the situations exposed throughout its 32 chapters may present a resolution at some point simpler than the one that could occur in real life, the truth is that the explanation made by the screenwriters about how to manage such topics as parental overprotection of children, the questioning of teachers by families, bullying, etc. by families, school bullying, the acceptance of different sexual orientations, etc., allows for an act of reflection on what kind of values underpin today's society.

In fact, Rita tends to use an unorthodox methodology, generating enmity or confrontation with respect to the rest of the adults (such as her co-workers, the students' parents, relatives and friends), although on the other hand, she seems to be highly valued and loved by all the children who attend her classes, seems to be highly valued and loved by the group of children who attend her classes..

What can the "Rita" series contribute?

Given the variety of issues raised by the series, let us see what kind of learning, values, teachings and reflections can be generated by following this peculiar and interesting television production, both within the individual personal and emotional development, as well as in a more global and general sense about the way of understanding today's society.

1. Giving greater weight to moral aspects over legal aspects

Rita has a tendency to act independently and tends to be influenced very little by the opinions of others. An example of this is when he decides to take over the "co-guardianship" (unofficially speaking) of a teenager whose mother has bipolar disorder. a teenager whose mother has a bipolar disorder and decides not to and decides not to denounce this situation so that the boy is not separated from his mother figure.

2. Actively confronting the cause of the discomfort

Rita's character does not miss a single opportunity to solve any 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 settling for the status quo. by not conforming to what is established just because it is the usual or the most comfortable thing to do.

An example of this can be seen in the assumption she herself makes about the sexual orientation of her youngest son Jeppe and how she confronts the situation with the parents of the partners that the boy presents at home.

3. Being coherent and accepting the consequences of one's own decisions

On several occasions, the protagonist tries to convey to both the students and her own children that they must learn to make their own decisions. they must learn to make their own decisions and that every act is followed by a certain effect. She also argues that it is essential to base one's own choices on these consequences, even if they imply the renunciation of a benefit or involve a high personal cost.

In one of the problems exposed in the third season, Rita puts the economic salvation of the school before keeping her job as a teacher and principal. However, it is also true that in her role as a mother she presents some emotional deficiencies that interfere negatively in the manifestation of a responsible, mature and more cautious attitude.

4. Express and share both cognitions and feelings.

It is important to to promote proper emotional management. This learning is one of those that Rita perhaps values as more complex to achieve, since in the first seasons she shows a very significant emotional isolation from her own family, especially from her children and her mother. Little by little, the teacher learns to establish more intimate interpersonal bonds and is able to show more of her feelings towards the other, although initially she makes such approaches in an erratic manner.

5. Avoid falling into prejudice, stigmatization and unfounded criticism.

In one of the chapters, Rita advocates defending a student with attention deficit disorder against an accusation of vandalism by the educational community. This entails him acting against the majority opinion and standing firm in his personal convictions. Later on, he will defend until all possibilities are exhausted the maintenance of a space for inclusion for a part of the students with learning difficulties and other adverse psychological particularities.

Learning to forgive oneself, accepting and learning from one's mistakes. This is undoubtedly one of the last learnings that Rita manages to internalize after having encountered some traumatic events of the past that have been taking their toll on her character and her way of functioning in the interpersonal sphere. This is shown in a very evident way in the fourth season, where continuous moments of flashbacks present a rebellious teenage Rita with a big family problem in tow.

By way of 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. an alternative perspective on how to deal with everyday situations that, both personally and professionally, may arise 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 she usually finds herself in the crosshairs of the rest of the adults with whom she interacts, the teacher manages to teach her students (and the viewer) a series of values that go far beyond the academic contents 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 to avoid the dichotomies and rigidity that are normally associated with the belief in certain conventionalisms that are devoid of practical sense with respect to work in today's society.