The fact of the matter is this.
If a girl can't count on her best friends to bail her out, then who can? And how in the WORLD is a girl expected, at the ripe old age of 17, to teach a classroom? AND what kind of superhero powers does someone need to enforce the rules of a fantastic teacher... while the teacher is gone for two weeks?
How does a student gain respect from the class if they're left in charge--of a theatrical production, none less?
I've tried the sweet way, with smiles and compliments, and laughs and jokes and fun--all mixed in with work. I've tried being sweet and a bit bossy, though not in a presumptuous way... raising my voice only to tell them to be quiet or to stop misbehaving, and then being sweet the rest of the time.
All that is left is the hateful, mean, yelling machine.
I've tried to demand respect by respecting them, and showing it. I've tried--worked my butt off, in fact--to make it an enjoyable class. To learn our play, and have fun with it. And the final straw--well, today was the final straw. And tomorrow, it's book work. Thursday, it's book work. Friday, it's book work. When the teacher next door has to come over, it's gone too far.
So.
What is it that a student should go for when she's placed in charge? I don't want to seem demanding, or bitchy, or angry or mean... I want to be seen as one of them, just with a little more power. I want them to look up to me like the kids in Chamber Choir and the youth group do.
I haven't changed anything, so what's the deal?
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I know exactly how you feel. A similar situation happened to me with my theatre class last year. I was pretty much in charge because the teacher was absent a lot. I tried to get the students motivated and excited about the class, but the majority of them were very immature and preferred to do stupid stuff. Stuff, I might add, that ended up getting the entire class in trouble. From that point on, there was only a study hall when the teacher wasn't around. I felt like I had failed, and I was very very annoyed. You see, it was my senior year of HS and I really liked this class, but the babies of the class were ruining it for everyone else.
What can you do? I'm not sure. Every situation would be different of course. Maybe the sweet version should threaten to bring out the mean version. Is it for a play? Threaten to start cutting people. Etc, etc. There must be a way. Or, give them the sad version that wishes everything would work out. Who knows? Maybe these kids will have a little empathy for you and try harder.
~ *~
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This was severe deja-vu.
Earlier this year, before I'd dropped my chorus class [that I've spent three successive years in, lettered in, taken as my favorite class & teacher..], I was elected president. Now, our choral director didn't exactly count on me like you'd think; he mostly just needed to get organized with our uniforms and music library [which is HUGE.. a total of a gazillion and one file cabinets with no sub-classifications.]. All that aside, there were a few weeks where he'd gone overseas to work with choirs in Switzerland. He left me, and the rest of our office holders, in charge. We had a substitute, but he expected us to be able to control a 40-something student body, all of which had their own attitudes and problems to deal with.
To begin with, I was excited. But when they backtalked me when we tried to sing, when they ignored everything I was trying to say, it did get to me.
I think it's really difficult to "control" any sort of teenage group, especially if you're their own age or not much older. People think that you're too full of yourself, that all you want to do is make yourself look better. In reality, that IS what happens. But it DOES really suck when people get in the way of leading a successful class, especially when it's a class you love.
I'm not currently in a drama class, but I have directed a few rehearsals for our different plays when our director is out. So I know how difficult it can be when all anyone wants to do is screw around.
Anyways, to sum up this pointlessly long comment, I give kudos for the responsibility you've accepted. It may not have the turnout you'd like, but hey.. it's all you can do, right? Maybe letting them have some room to breathe and blow off steam would be a good idea. I think you definitely should go with the bookwork aspect. Maybe, if lines haven't been learned yet, give them an assignment that has something to do with them. Vocal exercises can be really fun; such as taking lines you'd normally say a specific way, and adding a funny voice or vocal pattern. Half the time they wouldn't even realize that it's actual work, and it really does help.
I'll get out of your hair now; I'm sure you've had enough of me! Hope I helped, at least a little. Best of *that L-beginning curse word*, & break a leg.