Zoe Girl
3-30-11, 3:50pm
So I am working 'camp' this week for spring break and this time I am the big incharge person of a site. It has been going very well so I am happy, I have only met 2 of the kids before and never worked with this staff although they are familiar from trainings.
After the first day I got a note from the afternoon person asking that we set up our younger kids in another area and not get out certain games since the one boy who is austitic puts things in his mouth. Well we really liked how we set up in the morning so the plan was to set up and then shift the kids at noon when ther afternoon crew came in. Our special needs kiddo is actually doing great, has not put anything in his mouth and just needs more supervision since he is non-verbal and runs.
Apparently the afternoon lead went to the staff and was bothering them about what we got out, supplies we were using, and setting up the way we chose the first day. I am a person who likes to work things out with harmony so I handled it that way, then the light bulb went off, I am IN CHARGE. oh yeah, I guess I can listen respectfully and just tell her no after all. It isn't that I have a bad quality (working out compromise and smoothing things over) it is just that with this I didn't react like I could have when someone I actually supervise did this. I told the camp director but said that I wanted to get more assertive about dealing with this directly so to not call the afternoon lead. I think the first point I can make is to please talk to me about anything she has concerns about for the morning before talking to the staff herself.
I feel like it is going to take me a lifetime to learn to take authority and I am already 44. At least I tend to smooth things over rather than cause bigger conflict and I have to think that is a good thing.
After the first day I got a note from the afternoon person asking that we set up our younger kids in another area and not get out certain games since the one boy who is austitic puts things in his mouth. Well we really liked how we set up in the morning so the plan was to set up and then shift the kids at noon when ther afternoon crew came in. Our special needs kiddo is actually doing great, has not put anything in his mouth and just needs more supervision since he is non-verbal and runs.
Apparently the afternoon lead went to the staff and was bothering them about what we got out, supplies we were using, and setting up the way we chose the first day. I am a person who likes to work things out with harmony so I handled it that way, then the light bulb went off, I am IN CHARGE. oh yeah, I guess I can listen respectfully and just tell her no after all. It isn't that I have a bad quality (working out compromise and smoothing things over) it is just that with this I didn't react like I could have when someone I actually supervise did this. I told the camp director but said that I wanted to get more assertive about dealing with this directly so to not call the afternoon lead. I think the first point I can make is to please talk to me about anything she has concerns about for the morning before talking to the staff herself.
I feel like it is going to take me a lifetime to learn to take authority and I am already 44. At least I tend to smooth things over rather than cause bigger conflict and I have to think that is a good thing.