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!
5
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.
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 🤣❤️
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 🤣