Fear Itself

I am starting to buy into the whole "the greatest fear is fear itself" thing. Earlier in the week my co-worker made another off-hand comment, which I interpreted as her questioning whether or not I was enforcing certain policies. It bothered me all morning. I truly felt she was critiquing me/my methods too much and that the issue needed to be addressed. I pulled her aside after my lunch break and said something to the effect of, "I just want to make sure you know if you ever see a student sleeping, wearing a hoodie, with food or drink, it is well within your job description to handle it. You don't need to check in with me first. I completely trust your judgment." I let her know none of the policies had changed and that I certainly enforce all our rules, but sometimes I can't get to it as quickly because I have other, more pressing duties to attend to first as center director. I explained that's why there are three of us and that I appreciate her being so perceptive and on top of discipline. She came right out and said she didn't mean to sound as if she was questioning me (a) she realized how her comment may have been perceived, or b) she really was questioning me and wanted to backtrack, realizing I won't be standing for that anymore). Either way, there is now less tension and I feel empowered to be more direct going forward. It may seem like a small step, but for me it is a leap. I can manage my students and maintain strong district relationships like a pro, but when it comes to standing up for myself, I am a wimp. I am sick of feeling like a door mat, so I'm going to address issues as they arise from now on and not let things fester. I have finally proven to myself that confronting an issue right away and moving past it isn't nearly as difficult as dealing with a chronic problem.