I Don't Like Getting Yelled At!

I need to rant for a moment over an incident that happened earlier this week.

First of all, I consider myself to be a very easy person to get along with. I don't like to make waves, I generally take things in stride, and I try to go with the flow most of the time. I feel like I usually try to analyze both sides of the situation before putting in my two cents. I find that this makes me a very effective disciplinarian in my classroom, and I am able to build a lot of bridges this way. But there are a couple of things that really make me very very very angry, like when someone yells at me, disrespects me, embarrasses me in public, or destroys something of mine that I have worked hard for. One man did all of those things to me on Wednesday evening, and as infuriating as this is, the very arrogant individual is probably going to get away with it.

Let me back up for a moment to explain something. Now that I work for a high school, I am expected to have a pep band together to play for 10 home games. Unlike at a lot of high schools, pep band at my school is not a requirement for all band members. I want to keep it that way, but it means that I sometimes have to bribe and plead with my band members to get them to even show up to these games. Last Wednesday, our girls basketball team had a big game, and so I gave my band a big speech about how much the basketball players appreciate having us there and about how the coach had requested our presence because we get the crowd going and it makes them play better. My students usually feel like since no one claps for us at games that no one really cares if we're there or not, and they have better things to do with their time. But after my big speech, I did get some students to begrudgingly agree to play at the game.

Okay, so at about the end of the first quarter, the ball flew up and came down on the floor tom (part of the drumset). Huge intake of breath from myself and the other band members. The ball then went to the other team, and as I was examining the floor tom to make sure that it was okay.....it happened. The coach yelled. Angrily. At me. In front of hundreds of people. "Those drums are way too close! Move them back! Now!" I might want to mention that not only were the drums exactly where they have been for every game since there has been a pep band at this high school, but I have also been trying to convince the coaches and administration that it is not a good place for the drumset since it puts the instruments in danger. But they are adamant that the band needs to be in this specific corner because it is where the band has always been. The only reason the coach yelled at that moment is because our team didn't get the stupid ball and it was a close game. So he took it out on me.

I did move the drums back as far as they would possibly go. I moved them back one inch. I am so angry that I am shaking right now as I relive this. Also, my band members weren't feeling really peppy afterwards. They stopped clapping for the team, and it was hard convincing them to stay for halftime. We have another girls game on Tuesday, and my band wants to boycott it. I'm having a very difficult time convincing my band who already feels unappreciated and now feels insulted, that this is a good thing that we are doing. Without an apology directly from the coach, I don't know what is going to happen on Tuesday.

The athletic director, who I respect a lot, is trying to defuse the situation, but I am so very angry right now that I honestly don't know what it's going to take to make me forgive that coach. How dare that coach think that he can yell at a teacher in front of students and the general public? Not only that, but with basketball's insane following in this area, I'm sure that the public will back him and say that I am being irrational. I have just worked so hard to build up a pep band, and in one night, one man destroys my hard work. I'm absolutely livid right now.

I hate basketball.

*So, after reading this over, I'm not sure if you'll really understand why I'm so angry over the coach yelling at me. Maybe you had to be there. Trust me, I am justified in my anger.