Rowing Etiquette

Google is no help, so maybe someone here will know something about this.

I tried rowing for the first time today with 7 other first timers (from the support group I go to). The guy in front of me kept telling me what to do in a mean tone and at least 4 times reached back and grabbed my paddle and repositioned it of his own volition. This made me feel like complete garbage. So if anyone out there has experience with rowing, was that ok behavior on his part? I have had an absolutely horrible week, so please, if I'm overreacting, I want to know. Or if I have every right to be upset, I really want to know. The head coxswain guy said I was doing a good job, but I don't feel like I did. Which makes me wonder if he noticed what the guy in front of me was doing and was trying to make up for it b/c I'm sure my facial expressions gave me away at least a little while it was happening. Of course I put on my happy face and said I was doing fine or that my arms were tired when they weren't that bad so I could stop rowing and take a second to not feel like such a failure.

It's not just what happened today, but everything building up to it, I just want to cry. And I feel like I can't. I'm to the point where I just can't put on my happy face anymore.