The 8th Graders Sent From Heaven

Although I've been planning on going to bed early all day long, I was just lying in bed and noticed that I was in fact not sleepy at all. So I got up to share this story from yesterday.

Have I explained "Vertretung" already? Its when you have to substitute for another teacher. Apparently each teacher has 3 per month, but I've had ... many it feels like. Not that I mind! It gives me something more to do and I get to know more students. I know the 8d class quite well as I've had them 2 or 3 times in Vertretung already.

Actually, I thought I had Vertretung with the 8d class again yesterday. I planned to use my Jeopardy review game during class to help them prepare for the 8th grade english test everyone was taking today. After teaching for ten minutes, however, I learned that I was in the wrong class and actually was supposed to be teaching 8e. I panicked and quickly left the 8e class in a rush assuming that I would need to calm the storm that would be the 8e students.

Instead of a storm, I found a babbling brook.

I entered the classroom and caused more of a disruption than there had been previously. All 21 students were sitting, and working, quietly and diligently.

WHO KNEW 8TH GRADERS WERE CAPABLE OF THAT???

I literally gapped. Then our conversation went as follows:

"Wait, so you are all working?"
"ja."
"You all know what to do and what to work on?"
"ja."
"What are you doing?"
"English" (it was English class)
"You are all doing English work, and working quietly, and no teacher was here?"
"ja."
"What?? You are all amazing. You are the best students. Gold Stars. Gold Stars for everyone. I'm going to make you cookies."


Not really sure where I was going with the whole Gold Star rant. I was still in shock and I'm not entirely sure the Gold Star compliment translates across cultures, but it hardly seemed to matter, because barely anyone was listening to me. Want to know why? Because they were all working!

It was pretty amazing. I look forward to meeting them again.

And with that, I think its time for real sleep now.