Chilly.

"No offense, but the students just won't listen if you're the one leading their color guard rehearsal."

You know what?! I AM offended. VERY offended. I don't care if that's the truth, I'm planning on BEING A TEACHER in less than one year, so if I can't effectively leading a rehearsal something is WRONG and I need you to help me FIX that! You signed on to take me, you AGREED to it - what do you want from me? I CAN DO IT. I KNOW HOW TO MAKE THEM WORK.

If I DO fumble in rehearsal, part of that may be that I'm SCARED to death of you and your counterpart - from day 1 you told me I had to do things YOUR way - I'm doing everything I can to do that, but I don't even know what your way IS most of the time and I'm so afraid that you're going to yell at me that I don't even want to get up in front of the class!

Don't make jokes about me being your "personal assistant" because most of the time THAT'S WHAT I AM and I feel like CRAP because of it. I'm not surprised students don't take me seriously, because most of the time one of you ignores me in front of them anyway - I wouldn't take me seriously either. I don't think I'm anything but a puppet - I understand that you are trying to teach me what you know, but I need some positive feedback, too! I need you to understand what I'm doing here! Throwing me into rehearsals isn't helping me learn to take control in unexpected situations, because I am only afraid to take control because I don't know what YOU want me to do. I can take control! But not when I am too afraid to do what feels natural.

I don't really understand how you could rip me to shreds week after week, then my supervisor comes in and suggests I consider going to grad school for conducting??? THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!!! And I felt like the entire time he was giving me POSITIVE feedback you were sitting there DISAGREEING!

I know this probably isn't a cakewalk for you either - it's a weird situation and I know it'd be hard for me to be in your shoes. I'm not trying to criticize, I'm not trying to make a big deal out of it, I just want you to recognize that I am here and that I'm TRYING MY BEST. You're the people who watch me all day - can't you believe in me?