Bad Cop Now, Good Cop Later

Back into junior high I went today, and it didn't go like I thought. They are a tough group of kids and I felt like they had their guard walls up today - like who is this new counselor that's being a bad cop and telling me I can't chew gum at camp. And yet that girl still put the gum in her mouth! It seemed like a ton of the rules were not enforced well that I am now cracking down on, and it was hard to play bad cop on my frist day. I know later on I will be respected for being tough. (Oh how much fun I'll have when I'm a parent.) I want to make an amazing program and really get to know these kids on a deeper level and I guess I just was expecting to be at that level because I'm already at that level with so many other junior high kids from other sites and some former Jr high now high school kids....I miss the group of kids I had when I started working in junior high three years ago. But now that I think about it, I had the same "walls up" experience and it took time to break them down. But the time and determination I had then paid off because I've had so many opportunities to impact kids' lives and a lot of those kids still talk to me now. There is one girl who gave me the hardest time during junior high. Some days she'd be super sweet but then turn bipolar and flip out on me an hour later. I made her so mad so many times because she couldn't do what she wanted. I called her out on countless occasions because of things that would come out of her mouth or what she was wearing or how she acted like a Queen Bee. I every remember a time I made her cry because she was not happy at being called out on her behavior or the hard wake up call Kimber and I were giving her about consequences of her actions. Though there were so many bad days, there were many more good days and now our relationship is like running through a field of daisies - smooth, relaxing, and happy. :) She is even attending high school group at our church. When I think of that girl, I remind myself to stay tough but loving and in time I'll have more excellent relationships with this new group of kids.