My first "whoops" at work

Last weekend I was invited to my mentor teacher's house for dinner with a few other teachers. It was very, very nice. Evidently, it is custom to treat your guests to five course meals here in the D-land. Upon arrival I was told that since I wasn't driving, I had to drink. Soon after a drink was pushed in my hand and I was led to the sunroom for hors d'oeuvres and more drinks. During snack time, I faced something I never experienced in Germany prior to this occasion: a German that doesn't like Obama. And doesn't like Democrats. For the first time, I had to defend my political beliefs to a German in German. What a nightmare. (Note for those with an understanding of the German political system: soon after this, said person began bashing the SPD and then complained that the CDU wasn't 'doing enough.')

Then the meal began in the dining room. The table was set with a full setting (thank goodness I went to etiquette class at Hendrix!), complete with three different wine glasses. The salad came, accompanied with the first bottle of wine. Then lobster and two more bottles of wine. At this point, I felt like I was going to explode, and welcomed dessert. We were then presented with potatoes, beans, and a huge pot roast. And more wine. I received quizzing looks for not eating much and was told that I needed to be "fattened up before being sent home to America." Good Lord.

Then we had two desserts. And wine. And champagne. And more wine for good measure. We were shipped home by taxi and 2:30 and I stumbled into my apartment sometime after 3. Thank goodness I "only" needed to work on lesson plans the next day.

 Fast forward to Tuesday. I never ever look at the absentee teacher board. When I showed up to one of my 8th grade classes that morning, I was a bit surprised to see a different teacher. Since I had prepared a lesson, I offered to fill the first hour of the double block as normal. The substitute teacher didn't know the rules of the program and just left me alone to teach. With thirty 8th graders. ALONE. I started my lesson and the students blew through it in 20 minutes. Crap. I decided that I needed to learn their names and started a round of the name game, which somehow managed to take us to the bell.

I waited for the substitute to come in at the break. He never came back. I had to keep thirty 8th grades entertained for the next hour. Oh. My. God. Major. PANIC. I had nothing. I started them on a round of questions to get them talking and then everything fell apart. They knew that I wasn't supposed to be there and that I had no clue as to what I was doing. We mutually gave up. They talked and acted like rambunctious teenagers, and I spent 30 minutes feeling like the worst pseudo-teacher ever.

Things that I learned:
1. Never offer to assist when there is a substitute teacher.
2. Always have a really, really good teenager-proof back-up plan.

A different teacher asked if I could sub for her class after fall break. I don't think that's going to happen.

lg, Lauren