Teen student: You can't understand why I questioned your dedication to dance. Lets see, you showed up for ballet class to sit out with all intentions of returning later in the evening for your private lesson to dance. Then you proceeded to act like a complete brat for the entire class not paying attention to anything but your nails and your reflection all the while asking me about twenty times if you could go home now. Well I really don't care if so and so left before class started because we aren't starting the dance yet. You are not her and what she does is her business, not yours. Don't think its cool that your mom called and yelled at me for reprimanding you for your behavior and the fact that she cursed at me. That is not cool darling, thats called trashy bad parenting. Something you will most likely continue the tradition of based on your recent attitude. Your old friends aren't treating you different because you were diagnosed with JRA, you created your own drama when you and your mom flipped out because we replaced you in your competition routines for nationals. What, you thought the team would just fall apart because you couldn't dance. News flash! We are a team and its not all about you. They didn't change, you did. It is so obvious how nasty you've become with all your former BFF's. How do you think they feel? I find it all too interesting that you were suddenly well enough to perform once you found out about the understudies. Oh and then your mom came in and yelled at me for asking for a doctors note. How dare I care about what is going on with you. Clearly your mom didn't think it was a priority because she didn't know what was wrong with you and refused to get me a doctors note. Why, because you know that the rheumatoligist was against you dancing until they had a diagnosis. But the fun was more important to her then your actual health, but who am I to judge? I just got to watch you struggle all summer with a swollen knee while your mom was off gambling with her girls instead of taking you to the doctor. Sorry that she didn't really worry about it until it might mess up the family trip to the Bahamas. But she's the greatest mom in the world and I'm the evil dance teacher. I've only opened up every opportunity to you and then some. No matter what you've always had it your head that I didn't like you. I think you may have finally acheived it because I really don't enjoy teaching such a diva. I want someone in my classes that is there for the dance and not for a popularity contest. I used to be able to see past all the whining oversensitivity, but lately you have made the whole team tense and its not fair to anyone.

Oh, and you want to know why you didn't get picked for the part of the new dance that you wanted. Because you aren't right for the part. Not because I hate you. Not because your former friends hate you and have turned me against you. Not because of the JRA. Just because you weren't the right dancer for the part. Sometimes you can't have what you want and it sucks. Thats reality.

Respect your teachers and classmates and they will give it back. Don't whine to your mom if you get called out for misbehaving and you should actually acknowledge when you are wrong. The world is not out to get you, its just not all about you. There are other people in the universe and you need to be more aware of how you treat them and not just how they treat you. If you are going to give it, learn to take it.

Whew! I feel so much better now that I got all that out.