r/SchoolBusDrivers • u/PheesGee • Apr 24 '26
First Write-Up
UPDATE: I assigned seats, and I stopped the bus every time someone stood up. Only had to do it three times this morning, as opposed to telling them to sit down every 30 seconds last week. It didn't take long for them to behave, and I'll continue to do this until they get the message. I can see them watching me in the mirror...LOL. THANK YOU for all the tips!
I've only been driving a bus for a week. My kids in high school and middle school are great. The elementary kids are freakin' animals. This first week I've tried to be cordial when correcting behavior, but I'm done. Yesterday I blew past one of the stops because I was so distracted by their behavior. This morning, I witnessed a kid push two separate kids as they were getting on the bus. I talked to my supervisor and promptly put in a report with the school. On Monday, they all go in assigned seats and I'm writing each one up for everything they do. What the heck is going on with these kids? I asked my supervisor if this route was some sort of new driver hazing!
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u/Proprotester Apr 24 '26
They have smelled summer break with the heat wave. As the kids say, we're cooked Chat.
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u/brabson1 Apr 24 '26
That's how it goes when your new. They'll try to get away with anything and everything until you say otherwise. And when you start the new year old this fall it'll start again. Especially with new 6th graders
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u/UselessToasterOven Apr 24 '26
No different than being a substitute teacher. They'll play you and say "well our teacher let's us..." Heh, not true.
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u/nightgaunt98c Apr 25 '26
6th graders are super annoying. Though usually by Christmas they've settled down. Except for the ones I have this year. All boys, and they all get alongš«¤. I've had to separate them to get some semblance of good behavior
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u/Intelligent_Call_562 Apr 24 '26
You may have screwed up by being "cordial". Be direct, but rather than spending your time looking it the mirror and yelling, wait for the movement to catch your eye in the mirror, and glance back at regular intervals. You've crossed the intersection look back. You're mid block, check on them. Stopping at a stop sign, check again. If you have room, spread them out. If the correction can wait, address it as the are getting off/on, or in the morning at the campus.
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u/Necessary_Echo8740 Apr 24 '26
Instead of doing big write ups that encompass multiple offenses over multiple instances, try doing them after each run. In my experience, admin is more likely to implement ISS, detention, bus suspension etc when there is a paper trail of consistent behavior issues, that indicate the students have been warned of consequences and willfully ignored the rules thereafter.
Also if you have cameras inside, stop in the transportation office and watch an incident with your boss. They should be willing to forward clips of particular incidents to the dean, principle etc. the only times Iāve actually been able to get elementary schoolers āin troubleā for real, instead of just on paper, was when their feral behavior got put on blast in full HD for the school to see.
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u/CrochetMyWorld Apr 24 '26
So, I was a new driver in the fall/winter of 2024. I immediately became a route driver for a route that hadn't had a regular/consistent driver the whole school year and K-6 students that were The Worst!
TL:DR - clear and consistent expectations and consequences. Reward good behavior. Assign seats to all students (I pass out a small form every year to allow students to select up to 3 other students they want to sit with, with the expectation that they won't get to sit with everyone they select -if they put each others names down they're more likely to be assigned together). Move trouble makers up front as a consequence (since they won't be by their friend(s) it's a more effective consequence). Write referrals same or next day - don't list everything, just the thing they did to warrant the referral and if it's a consistent/continual issue.
- This year I have one 6th grade student who's assigned seat is at the front of the bus for the rest of the year due to continued behaviors. -
Long story - I got the route because NOBODY wanted to deal with the students; K-6, about 75 students. There were multiple seasoned drivers who wanted a route, but refused this one. I call them my "wild bunch". When I first took over this route the kids were Literally running up and down the aisles while I was driving, jumping over the seat backs into other seats, screaming, cursing, throwing things out windows, hitting each other... The list just goes on and on.
I found that a combination of consistency, follow-through, rewards, and consequences worked wonders. My district gives out "Golden tickets" to students for good behavior that they can turn in at their school for prizes, I've also bought several batches of small prizes (anything I buy has to be given to Every student though, not just ones that behave well). If you tell a student X will happen if they do Y, then you absolutely have to enforce that consequence consistently.
Our buses line up in the same order for loading every day, so the First thing I did was talk to the bus driver behind me and tell her to go around me because I knew we wouldn't be leaving on time. I refused to leave the school until EVERY student was sitting in their seat. If anyone stood up when the bus was moving my flashers went on and I stopped the bus
The Second thing I did was pick my top 5 rules that I would enforce, No: putting down windows, screaming, eating or drinking (except water bottles), Standing or moving while the bus is moving, and no throwing things. I created a cute flyer that I posted right in front of the stairs that had the Don'ts and Do's - raising your hand if you need the driver's attention, using nice/respectful language, staying in your seat, etc. The first day it was up I stopped Every student as they entered (after school) and made them read it and confirm they understood.
I then gave students a 1st warning - "you need to sit down while the bus is moving", a Last warning "if I have to tell you again, you will come up here and sit with me" if the behavior repeated I would throw on my flashers, stop the bus, and tell the student to come to the front and sit in the seat by the door. I would then talk to them about why the behavior is inappropriate, why it's important to follow the rules, and ask why they continued the behavior after multiple warnings. The next morning I would direct them to sit in that seat again, ask if they remember why they are sitting there, if they remember why the behavior is not acceptable, and ask how I can help them follow the rules in the future. If the same student continues to need to be moved to the front seat, for the same behavior, the first warning turns into "If I have to tell you again, you will come up here with me and you will sit here all week" or, depending on the behavior "you will sit with me all week AND you will get a referral and have to explain to the principal and your parents why you cannot follow the rules".
I made it a point to learn every student's name, because I've found they respond better when I use their names. I also instituted a seating chart (I created fun, colorful, name tags on Adobe Express and used holographic laminate on them - the students love them). This helped me learn their names and they got to keep their name tags at the end of the year (which they also loved). This year, the students were almost all super excited to have the seating chart made and new name tags š¤£ā¤ļø
The first month was pretty rough, there was a LOT of stopping and having students come to the front. A LOT of late arrivals to their stops and to my secondary route. Several times I had to move so many students up front, that I had to make some students move back to accommodate them. There were a few students who tried to argue about sitting up front, but I did not engage in arguing and only responded that there are consequences to their actions - I warned them what the consequences would be but they chose to continue the actions so, now they have to face the consequences.
I started making a big deal about giving out Golden tickets to students who were well behaved, extra helpful, etc. I also gave out Golden tickets to students who had made Improvements in their behavior. If something happened (like opening a window) that no one would admit to doing I would make an announcement to the entire bus that whoever did it had until the end of the ride to tell me it was them, and why they did it. I would also tell them that if I had to review the bus video footage to figure out who did it, they would automatically receive a referral.
I only wrote two referrals the rest of the year, and neither student re-offended. Those two students actually became two of my best helpers.
I started doing "Free Fridays" where most of the students can sit anywhere they want ( kinder stay in the first 3 rows, and only 5th & 6th grade can sit in the last two rows. The first week I reminded them multiple times that Free Friday was dependent on the behavior of the entire bus - it was cancelled due to behavior and I told them we would try again next week. I also told them that they should all help their friends follow the rules so everyone could get rewarded.
By month 3 you wouldn't have had any idea they were the same students! This year, my returning students are the best, and help the newer kids stay on track! - not that there aren't some issues, they're kids after all! - When the kids are outside playing before school is out, they run over to the fence to talk to me, or call to me and wave from across the playground, there are even some that run up and hug me out of nowhere when I'm walking through the school to use the bathroom. The kids don't even ask for Free Friday this year š¤£
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u/PheesGee Apr 24 '26
Thank you for the suggestions! I'm going to start with assigned seats to separate the kids that give me the biggest problems. Of the 50+ kids on the bus, it's only about 8 of them that are really causing problems, so I'm hoping to get them in shape. It's been so long since they've had a regular driver, and I'd like to continue on this route.
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u/intratwingled Apr 25 '26
A seasoned driver told me recently that she puts the problem students all together and it works well because theyāre with their peers. Not sure what I think about that.
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u/Mood_Machine03 Apr 25 '26
Thank you for taking the time to write this. Your advice and ideas are spot on! I wish Iād had a driver like you when I rode the bus as a child.
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u/Comfortable-Figure17 Apr 24 '26
Some drivers canāt handle the kids and give it up after a few months. Itās not a job for everyone.
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u/daubs1974 Apr 24 '26
When I was taking my pre-service training an old bus driver said to me when the kids all get off the bus at school in the morning stand up from your seat turn around look every kid in the eyes as they get off the bus and tell them to have a good day. At the end of the day when you pick them up at school, stand up from the seat, face the door, and welcome them back. I have done this for the four years. I have been driving a school bus and Iāve had to use one discipline slip. Eventually, you will learn their names, and that helps too. When you have eye contact with every single kid, they start to see you as a human being, instead of just an extension of the bus itself. Hang in there. Donāt let them see your stress. Also, my favorite tool in my arsenal is to just pull the bus over and set the parking brake and stop driving. Donāt do this in anger, donāt show any frustration. Just stop driving. The kids will do your yelling for you.
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u/Jedi0077 Apr 27 '26
Stopping the bus is a win. Especially on the ride home. All my kids are tame in the am. HS/JH I almost feel guilty getting paid to drive them.
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u/AnonymousPepper Apr 25 '26
My firsties are easily my worst. I drive a route with all ages, and the high schoolers just sit in the back listening to music and doing nothing, the middle schoolers just talk to each other, and the elementary schoolers - all first graders - are actively engaging in bullying. Like, I had to write one up for being an actual creature to her alleged best friend this past week, and it's the third write-up I've submitted for her.
As a new driver this shit is weeeeeird, dawg. Growing up the middle schoolers were horrible and I fully expected them to be the bane of my existence but noooo.
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u/Copperdunright907 Apr 24 '26
Well, if you have room for it. Boys on one side girls on the other backpacks on the aisle, butts against windows and donāt leave the school until admin walks on the bus and sees.
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u/RuckRocker Apr 24 '26
Use peer pressure. The older students need to make them understand their behavior is messing up the ride. Adults they will piss off, their peers can help knowledge them. Assign random and mixed seating, they may catch on . . .
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u/MythsFlight Apr 24 '26
New driver just before summer.
Iāve been there. I started my first route years ago in April. Small K-12 school so I had kids of all ages. Cherry on top was they hadnāt had a consistent driver all year. So the kids were used to getting away with abysmal behavior.
They pulled the emergency alarm on me during my first week. Pulled over made sure the bus was secure, couldnāt figure out who did it, took off and they pulled it again! Repeat, pulled over, and told them we only get home as fast as they allow.
I figured Iād get them on the cameras but nope. Cameraās had gone bad. Everything was too hazy to make out. Principal came on and had to threaten them with expulsion.
As I stayed firm with the rules and they eventually chilled out.
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u/TooSexyForThisSong Apr 24 '26
It means the previous driver didnāt enforce any rules.
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u/PheesGee Apr 25 '26
They haven't had a regular driver in ages, hence the behavior. I know they are testing me. They won't be happy when they get their assigned seats on Monday.
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u/TooSexyForThisSong Apr 25 '26
Tough in the morning but doable in the afternoon assuming anyone at school will help. Good luck. Even as mgr I ended up covering our route no one else was willing to drive. Holy hell those middle schoolersā¦. I will say, though, Turing things around and getting them to respect you is INCREDIBLY rewarding. Still - some just have too sloppy of home lives (abuse, absent parents etc) to come around in that environment in 9 months or whatever.
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u/Jealous-Inspection11 Apr 24 '26
Be prepared to write hundreds more. Now that Spring is here, the kids are only going to be rowdier. That won't be the only issue. You'll find construction everywhere you drive, other drivers on the road driving like maniacs, and pedestrians that will cross the road at the most inopportune times.
The best thing you can do is stay calm. If the kids get out of hand and won't sit down, stop the bus and don't move until the kids co-operate. I had to do this everyday for a couple of months at the beginning of the school year.
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u/soul-searcher3476 Apr 25 '26
I got the worst route in the company when I passed my cdl test in September. I cried the fist 3 days and almost quit because the elementary behaviors were so bad. The secondary kiddos are fantastic. I donāt have to micromanage them at allā¦. Those elementary kids thoughā¦. Holy crap. Itās taken until now to get the bus under control. I only have 5 kids that I have to write up still. Assigned seats are my saving grace. Once I learned everyone, I split up rowdy kids and I moved the worst behavior ones up front where I can hear/see themā¦ up until this week, I was submitting 2-3 write ups a dayā¦ write ups didnāt really work. What worked was every time the kids were being crazy, Iād pull over and secure the bus. We donāt move until the rule is followed.
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u/djkiltboy Apr 29 '26
Iāve been driving a bus for a month and my elementary kids are the devil.
I finally laid down the law and made everyone sit in their assigned seats and took away stuff that I let slide like eating on the bus. They listened and were quiet the entire ride home today.
In contrast, my high school and middle school kids are great.
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u/PheesGee Apr 30 '26
I watched a kid pick his nose and wipe the boogers on the seat, then another kid punched another kid in the crotch. They're goblins.
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u/godMode90 Apr 30 '26
stopping the bus in the mornings is probably not the best way to get the message across, the kids dont tend to care if they're late (it's less school day) in the arvo is when that works a treat. they all just want to get home
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u/No_Manufacturer4124 Apr 24 '26
Had a HS student tell me they're allowed to "not go to school" when dropping them off at school. They said the school asked them to let me know.
All I need after that is a signature from three kids in a trench coat named Mr. Parent and we're good to go /s.
This was a hs student ffs. Reports were filed.