Resolutions for the new school year

Recently I've felt the need to make some resolutions for the new school year. These are things for me to keep in mind with my day-to-day interactions with students.

1. I will continue to run my classroom effectively, regardless of my students' negative attitudes and/or opinions.

2. I will take a positive attitude into rehearsal. I tell my kids to leave it at the door; I need to do the same.

3. I will not take my students' opinions about band and equate them with how they feel about me.

4. I will leave work AT WORK. My home and my time with my husband are my sanctuaries, though I reserve the right to stay at work a little late to keep it that way.

5. I will stand my ground and follow through with everything.

6. I will stand by the decisions that I have made. Once a decision has been made, it's done!

7. I will do my best to be professional and objective at all times.

I'm feeling very anxious about the upcoming school year. And not the good kind of anxious. This is more the nervous, upset, can't sleep cuz I'm so worried anxious. I just would like everything to get going so that I'm done with this weird limbo period. Some of the source of my anxiety comes from the high school band. I started a Facebook page for the band. I've found it's a really quick, easy way to disseminate information to students and parents. It's not without its pitfalls, though. Such as, students postingthings, good and bad, that I can read. Lately, I've been using this tokeep in touch with my color guard girls (the words "color guard"should inspire a ton of drama alone).

Last year I had a squad of four. This year, two incoming freshmenapproached me saying they also wanted to be on the squad. I said yes.Told the other girls about it, and they were worried about money forequipment, etc. Fair enough. So I tell them I will check into themoney situation. Turns out, hey! We're fine! So I decide over the summer to go ahead and let these girls on the squad. But, it was already in the thick of summer, so I didn't get the chance to tell my vets. So, I send them a note asking when could we get together. THEN they all notice who the note is addressed to, and THEN they all start getting hissy-fitty. So I have these poor freshmen who are totally innocent in this whole thing, and four vets who are mad andor frustrated. They're mad about me rescheduling meetings (I have people out of town and want the whole squad there as much as possible), ordering shirts without their knowledge (when they gave me approval for the artwork at the end of the school year), the fact that the shirts are so expensive (when I told them they would be $10-$15, and the shirts are $15.49), and that I didn't tell them about the new girls on guard (when they knew at the end of the school year that these girls were interested). Good. grief. So, I took the Facebook page down because I figured that if I can't handle reading the drama, I just can't do it.

I think part of my problem is that I hate it when people are mad at me. I want to be liked (who doesn't?) I had an extremely shitty high school experience in this regard, and now I'm in a situation remarkably similar to that. The biggest difference is that I'm in charge. My husband and I were talking about this today over lunch. He has a way of putting things so that they make total sense. Basically, he says that I have to stick to my guns on this one. Does the volleyball coach care that you don't like to run? No! Does he care that you don't like all of the people on the team? No! So, how is this situation any different? Making it an analogy like that makes the whole situation make more sense. I think I'm looking for a "quick fix" to all of this--something that will make it all better instantly. Well, unfortunately, nothing will do that and allow for a quality band program to build. These girls want to feel special. That's why they started a flag squad. They want to feel like they're better than everyone else, and that's why they don't want these other two girls on the squad. So, what I have to do is...keep going. When one balks, deal and move on. This isn't a democracy. I'll compromise on some things, but the minute I start handing over control is the minute I lose control.

So...for now, I shall enjoy my afternoon. I won't think about work or bitchy high school girls. I will sit, crochet, and watch Dr. Phil and remind myself, as all grandmothers have told us from the dawn of time, THIS TOO, SHALL PASS.