Sheer utter terror crossed my persona as she walked in the newsroom.  The sound of the latching door was matched only by the sound of her boots clicking like a blind man’s cane.  The army skirt made a slight ruffling as she placed herself dead center at the head of the class.  Mrs. Rhone busted out into the Commando of Death.

“Listen up,” she said in a violently toned voice, “things are going to be different around here starting now!”

My heart jumped into my throat like a salmon swimming upstream.  I sat there, frozen in my chair like a deer in the headlights as her verbal assault etched itself furiously into the folds of my brain.

Mrs. Rhone looked dressed to kill as she explained what the situation was that drove her to such a drastic measure of response.  The week before, someone on the staff had made the crack of Mr. Rhone being Mrs. Rhone’s “bitch”, and she would not stand for that kind of behavior.

Mrs. Rhone went on to explain that we were to either shape up or ship out, because she would –not- stand to baby us.  She was the boss, not the mother figure and we were the staff, not babies.  The sooner we realized that, the sooner we could get back down to business.                

Mrs. Rhone stated that, if need be, she would go back to the contracts that the staff signed at the beginning of the year and add new rules, as stated in the original legally binding document               

After the 1 ½ hour lecture where she laid it out like it was and took no shit from anybody, the doors were unlocked and the students released.                

As we walked back to our classrooms solemnly processing the slightly savage lecture, I drew three conclusions.

1.        Mrs. Rhone is not afraid to get tough with anyone.

2.        Mrs. Rhone takes no crap from no one.

3.        Mrs. Rhone changed everyone.

                After the lecture, classes became a lot smoother and much less childish.  Everyone changed in light of the chewing out, but I believe that, as harsh as it might sometimes be, if that’s the only way to get the point across without physically hurting someone, then that’s the way it has to go.