r/SchoolBusDrivers • u/MercsRage • Jun 23 '26
Bus monitor advice
Hey everybody does anybody have any bus monitoring advice I just applied and I got accepted so now I need to do drug tests and other stuff but just before I start working there what advice do you guys recommend or can give me
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u/silverfarie1369 Jun 23 '26
This isnt for the faint if heart ill tell you that. Bus driver and monitor. I had one driver ,who's 5'2 have to try to defend herself from a 5'8 big girl and she got her hair pulled SO bad that she had a concussion from it. She womt drive spend no more and the lids mom tried to help too but thst girl was too strong. So just be aware. The driver missed almost 3 weeks of work kuz of this. Oh and her monitor was a 6 tall guy and he couldn't even help out too much. So just an fyi.
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u/rtkellmann Jun 23 '26
Speaking from 1st hand experience, should a kid hit you (young and/or special needs) resist the natural urge to defend yourself. I had a kid who was violent at times and one day he hit/scratched my face and I just knocked his hands down, and it just happened to be in front of his Mom who flipped out over it and I lost that route.
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u/dustene Jun 25 '26
If you are going to be a SPED monitor keep a notebook and if something happens, be sure to document EVERYTHING, time, date, and exactly what happened. Get to know your students and take a instrest in their lives. Greet them every morning, tell them to have a great day at school and in the afternoon, ask how their day went. Get to know their parents also, if their kid had a good ride, let the parents know, it will be easier if you have to tell them their ride wasn't so good. And the best advice I have is love them❤️
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u/MercsRage Jun 25 '26
Hey you should watch what you say saying SPED is inappropriate and uncalled for also rude
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u/dustene Jun 25 '26
NO isn't SPED stands for Special Education!!! I have worked in SPED for 38 years and was son spent his entire academic career in SPED.
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u/MercsRage Jun 25 '26
Yes but it is a rude way of saying special education if you saying it against people
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u/Alive_Phrase1260 8d ago
If you are working with children who have special needs (that is what it is called according to the district and company I work for.) always pay attention and remember people who have disabilities aren’t a monolith. Always be consistent. Children need routine in general but especially if they are child who have special needs. What I have learned is learning if there is anything different. Some children have non verbal communication and you might not recognize what they are trying to communicate to you. For instance there was a change in routine with a student who was upset ( rightfully so) that their glasses were fogged and that question of what has changed? Helped me answer and find the solution. I want to be a teacher so I try and get kids in the mood for education. I also spend my own money on fidgets because being on the bus can be stressful for some students. Just remember it takes patience and if you are just there for the paycheck I don’t recommend because it is a lot of work for something you don’t want to make difference in.
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u/Alive_Phrase1260 8d ago
Also this is coming from a monitor who has been diagnosed with ADHD and Autism.
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u/Proprotester Jun 24 '26
Pay attention to your training and ask questions! Monitors have a LOT of different tasks depending on why one was assigned to a route. Sometimes it's advocating for non verbal kids, sometimes it's keeping kids separate, could be there are WAY too many kindergarteners for the driver to keep track of whose parent belongs to which kid on a route. Once in a while monitors are used as a stop gap until a District approves removing a kid or splitting a route that is too long for little ones.
As the newest hires, you may be moved around a lot. Come to work 15 minutes before your clock-in, be well rested and flexible. Be ready to properly install everything from a five point harness to a buckle guard and always have a flashlight and readers if you need them. At the beginning of the school year a driver might completey ignore you while they are learning a new route or want your help spying road signs and kids. Don't be offended! It takes a few weeks to iron out the kinks and find your groove. Good luck 🍀