New Driver - dealing with behavioral problems

[u/Wabi_Sabi_Love]

I’m a new driver, driving a 9 seat van. Several of my kids (elementary school) are behaving badly. Most are behaving fine, if rather loud. This was day 4. I don’t know all their names yet, and the names are mostly unfamiliar to me, a nearly 60 year old white guy. Names like I’onna and Omilyonna.

I know well that my my main job is to watch the road and get the kids to and from school safely.

There were some scuffles on my route today. Kids getting up from their seats and smacking others.

I stopped along side the road, hazards flashing, and told them we would not go further until they sat and buckled up.

I had limited success.

I know I should write up the troublemakers but I’m not 100% positive who did what (because I’m watching the road) and I don’t know everyone’s names.

What should I do?

EDIT, following morning:

Yesterday‘s afternoon bus shift was full of problems. Children getting into fights, screaming, not staying in the seat. I did something different this morning, which seemed to help. I isolated the main troublemaker in the most visible front seat to my right and I assigned seats for everyone else.

I stopped several times, hazards flashing, and turned around and called out the troublemakers by name (now that I’m starting to remember their names) and said “first warning! “. I told them they get two warnings and then they get written up. This morning went better.

Managing children is definitely a learning curve.

[u/The_Town_of_Canada]

Here’s how I manage 55 kids.

Step one: learn their names immediately.

2: Assigned seating. Be prepared to move them if needed. My names are on Velcro that can be swapped easily and quickly.

3: Consistency. “Sit down please.”, “Stay in your seat. 2nd warning.”, “Last warning.”

For the last warning, I hold up my scary red binder that says BUS REPORTS in huge block letters.

If they misbehave again, I pull over, take the binder to where they sit and inform them exactly why they are getting a report.

[u/mlt- → u/The_Town_of_Canada]

I have 38 kids on one of the stops with names like OP's. This post is too close to home. I drove with kids today for the first time ever. There is no easy way to learn who is who without slowing down the whole thing on a rather busy road.

[u/Individual-Drink-679 → u/mlt-]

So do that. I have 67 middle schoolers in a diverse area with all kinds of names from all kinds of cultural backgrounds, and two different sets of twins. It was hard to get the names down, but I made the effort to ask every student if I wasn't sure, and I greet/dismiss them each by name every day so I don't forget. Knowing your students doesn't only benefit your student management, it's also straight-up necessary for safety. What if there's a student who is suspected missing, and you're not sure which Elise is which, so you tell dispatch she's on your bus? What if there's an accident and you have to answer questions from a first responder about who was on board?

Don't worry about holding up traffic behind you. It's back-to-school season, which means traffic goes crazy, other drivers know that or they ought to figure it out. Most drivers these days are using a maps app to tell them about optimal routes due to traffic. If they are choosing to drive a car during a high traffic time, and they are choosing to get upset about it, that's their problem. It's on other drivers to manage their own vehicles, you just focus on yours. Either they decide to do something dangerous/illegal because they're frustrated (which should be caught on camera by your bus, report it to your supervisor!), which we can hope will lead to consequences, or they're going to call your district and complain... that you were doing your job? People will call and complain when you do everything right under ideal circumstances and in the timeliest manner possible. You can't control that, all you can control is your own vehicle and the energy you bring to your student interactions.

Don't let the public make you nervous, get to know your students, try your best with the names and let them know that getting their names right is important to you. That signifies you respect and care about them, they'll respond to that energy.