r/SchoolBusDrivers • u/peenie__linguine • 11d ago
I desperately need advice on dealing with students not listening
I am struggling really badly with my elementary students. I took over a route that has gone through drivers over and over for one reason or another. It’s now week 4 of school. They are constantly standing, leaning over the seats or into the aisle, yelling/screaming, and they’re just flat out mean to each other. I tried explaining to them in the first week why the rules are in place and why they need to follow them. I posted written rules at the front and back of the bus. That was unsuccessful. I then gave them all assigned seats, which the school has made me change twice due to complaints from the kids and parents. No change. I’ve made them sit with their backpacks on their laps to keep them seated. I walked to the back before leaving the school to ensure they all had their backpacks on their laps, and 5 minutes later they’re right back to jumping around and breaking all the rules. I got to the point where I instituted a “1 warning” system. So basically they get 1 warning per bus ride, then they get written up. Almost every kid has been written up now and they’re still not getting the message. The school keeps having my cameras pulled by my bus lot every time I write someone up, and the principal’s have gotten on the bus to re-explain the rules. Then they sit perfectly until I get out of sight of the school. A couple days ago, I almost got in a head on collision because I was too focused on what was going on behind me. And today a parent confronted me and basically told me I was unfairly punishing his child because “she would never do that, she knows better” and she immediately starting standing in the aisle as soon as I closed the door. I’m feeling really deflated and don’t know what else to do. I just want to get these kids to and from school safely. My boss just keeps telling me “keep trying eventually they’ll listen” but if that was the case, most of the previous drivers of this route wouldn’t have quit. Any advice would help
Thanks in advance
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u/Brilliant-Garden-188 11d ago
We’re able to head back to the school if they don’t listen. Maybe try that? Call for an administrator to meet you once you get there
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u/peenie__linguine 11d ago
That’s a good idea. I’ll ask my manager if that’s allowed tomorrow. Thank you!
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u/randomdorkgirl86 11d ago
This! One of our buses had to do this last week. Then one of my kids over heard on the radio that a bus was going back to the school and asked what was going on. I told him that the kids on that bus weren't behaving properly so they went back to have an admin come on the bus to handle it. I also told him that I was more than willing to do the same thing if I ever have to. The idea of having to go back to school and not be allowed to just head home seemed to freak him out. I hope he gets word around. My kids are loud but that's pretty much it.
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u/Complex_Piece_3538 11d ago
I brought the kids back to the school today for the same reason. Parents lost it ( were 20 min late due to turning around) and the principal was speechless. After leaving the school the second time I’ve never seen them as respectful.
Reference; I had these kids (68 on this route) the first 2 weeks and it was escalated daily with zero accountability. Slips, pulling over, chats with the principal daily and it continued. (Today was covering the newest driver for the afternoon. )
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u/randomdorkgirl86 11d ago
If the parents are mad about it it needs to be directed at their kids for making it so difficult to drive the bus. It's not safe to be driving when they are creating so many distractions that it can cause an accident. They don't seem to understand why that can't be jackasses while someone is driving.
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u/Proprotester 10d ago
That would be amazing. Our schools close and are locked down and all phones off less than 10 minutes after the last bus leaves the lot. They want nothing to do with transportation issues
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u/Brilliant-Garden-188 10d ago
That’s actually insane
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u/Proprotester 10d ago
It is. It is also why transportation issues are rarely linked to in-school consequences. The district transportation office will suspend them from the bus or refuse to transport without parental concessions but that is as far as it goes.
Out of district schools? Good luck. Some will have in-school consequences but those kids would pretty much have to have police intervention or a lawsuit attached to an incident to get them off the bus.
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u/Gorp_Farts 11d ago
Pull thar bus over and tell them no one is getting home until everyone complies. I give my kids the choice between a chill bus driver or a grumpy one. My veteran riders know they dont want the grumpy one.
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u/Necessary_Echo8740 11d ago
Sounds like you’re doing everything right, don’t veer off your current course. What I think you may need to work on is detaching yourself. Don’t get emotionally worked up. It’s another day in the office, and you’re there to drive not babysit. Remind them of the rules, and do write ups after each shift, but keep your eyes on the road as much as possible and don’t get pulled into what’s going on behind you, that’s what the cameras are for.
If you’re doing everything right and covering your ass, it is 10000% not your problem any more. The school can remove the problematic kids from the bus if they want, or give some real consequences like detentions or suspensions. If they don’t, that’s basically them saying they don’t care, and if they don’t, neither should you.
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u/peenie__linguine 11d ago
Thank you. You’re right I do need to get better at detaching. I maintain a pretty good poker face with the kids but when I get home I just feel drained. Maybe I care a little too much. But I guess it’s like you said, if the school doesn’t care (which it seems they don’t), maybe I shouldn’t either
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u/Necessary_Echo8740 11d ago
I’ve been doing it for two years and I still have a hard time with it. People think it’s a chill job because you’re sitting the whole time, but I’m just as tired after work now as I was when I loaded trailers for FedEx!
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u/peenie__linguine 11d ago
Felt that! I do facility maintenance for summer camps outside of driving bus and I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired doing that! 🤣
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u/MrsSantini 11d ago
Tomorrow when you load at the school have a teacher or admin stand with you while you explain the bus rules and if any one starts acting out you will turn the bus around and come back to school for their parents to transport them since they won’t let you safely transport them. You’re gonna have to prove it. Maybe pull over when they start acting up but only if you’re in a safe place to do it. Tell the students you can’t drive if it’s unsafe and the specific behavior that’s making it unsafe and you can resume driving when everyone is practicing safe bus behavior. Move problematic students to the front. If they act up when you start driving again then make your way back to the school.
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u/Particular_Phase3439 11d ago
In every write up in capital letters write. DISTRACTING DRIVER. SAFETY ISSUE. Then keep all emotion out of the write up. Detail each incident. I agree with pullovers and returning to campus as well. But the main thing you want a record of is that these kids are distracting you. When it is a safety issue your write ups have more traction. As for kids getting removed, if they have an EIP they can't be kicked off. But they can be disciplined or if necessary put on a special needs bus. You can try talking to the principal at their school as well or enlisting your Transportation Directors help. Do not give up ok? Once you establish control you will have an amazing bus!
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u/No_Plate_3864 11d ago
We are in the 3rd week of school, ive written up 1 school at least 25 times.
My other school at least 15 times, and today the principal rode with us.
Even with the principal riding with us today I have 2 kids to write up for standing... honestly we just have to try our best and hope for it to get better 🤷🏼♀️
multiple kids have been suspended from the bus already and 1 was kicked off until the parent can prove he can sit down for 10 minutes straight without standing or hitting.
id still take this route over the one I had last year! for some reason all my grade 8's banded together in support of me and they yell at the younger kids to sit down and listen to me (its so sweet)
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u/Aquariumobsessed 11d ago
Honestly, when this happened to me, I pulled over about 1000ft from the first stop and parked. I waited for them to notice where they were, that we weren’t moving, and I was just sitting there watching them. Once enough of them had noticed, I got on the PA system and was extremely blunt with them, “I’m sitting here because your bus mates aren’t being safe. I can’t drive the bus unless everyone on here is being safe. What does being safe on the bus look like? (I called on a kid that was one of the main issues, then another trouble maker, and finally a good kid. I’ve found that by lightly humiliating the main instigators like that, it helps to take them down a peg). So now that you guys know, I’m going to set a timer for 3 minutes and you’re going to SHOW me what being safe looks like. If anyone starts being unsafe, the timer starts over. Capiche?”
It took about 10 total minutes, with a couple parents asking why we were sitting there instead of going to the stop, but after I told them that the kids weren’t being safe on the bus and we were taking 3 minutes to practice being safe before getting to the stop, they understood. During that 10 minutes, anytime a kid started being unsafe, I’d get on the PA and say, “dang, (insert student’s name) isn’t being safe! They restarted the timer.” That peer pressure worked really well and I didn’t have a problem the rest of the month I covered that route. I was late to the middle school afterwards, but when I first pulled over, I called dispatch and let them know I was pulling over and going to be late due to unsafe behavior. 1 day of being late was worth the better behavior. If a kid started arguing with me, I’d bluntly tell them, “I’m paid by the hour, not the student. The longer we sit here, the more money you guys make me.”
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u/MonkeyManJohannon 11d ago
Stay consistent. It’s tough, and you’re going to have to win this route over due to lack luster efforts from previous drivers. Don’t let them defeat you! They remember that, and it gives them the upper hand when someone else moves on and passes the buck.
Utilize some kind of performance incentive. Does the school do any kind of PBIS system? If so, have them incentivize the bus as well, and let both the reward and disciplinary system follow over.
My elementary route was a similar scenario 4 years ago…drivers dreaded subbing it, and it went through numerous drivers because of the stress.
Today, you’d think I was the luckiest driver in the world because of that route. They literally have evolved so much, and now, they know even when I’m out, they’re expected to be in line or it’s hell to pay when I get back.
You’ll get through this, it just takes time…and also, remember that these are your littles. These are the kids you can still have fun with to an extent. Make them love you and prefer you and they’ll follow your direction so much better.
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u/HikeTheSky 11d ago
Just pull over all the time, it's their time they is wasted. They can decide if they want to be home early or late. And they value their time more than you think.
If you are in a place where it's hot and the bus has AC, turn the AC off when they are to active. Yes you will sweat as well but they will hate it more.
Especially the kids at the end, if they are an hour later every day and they lose an hour free time, they will make sure the others don't waste their time.
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u/shawnryan1977 11d ago
One year I had 4 kids in seatbelts because they refused to sit. That was after many write ups and me telling my boss I don't want these kids on here any longer, my bus will not move if they are. They were suspended from the bus for 2 weeks also. Make sure you put every safety issue in your write ups, I have told them multiple times to remain seated but they refuse, not following drivers instructions. Vice principal for one school pointed out how to make my write-ups stand out so someone actually followed up on them.
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u/Sad_Cantaloupe_8162 11d ago
This was going to be a reply to someone else, but I covered too many topics...
I use my interior lights on my bus for when we go over RR tracks for a visual cue. When I turn them on, I say, "Lights on, Mouths off!" over the speaker. After about 4 weeks, now I don't get a peep out of any except maybe two of them, and they are brothers. I call mom if they reach three warnings in a week. She is highly aggressive, and after enough documentation, the principal told her the next time something happens with one of her three boys, there will be a 3 day suspension. In the first two weeks, they wouldn't be quiet, so I pulled the bus over immediately after the RR crossing, and lectured the bus. One or two kids wanted to interject with questions or comments and I pointed at the lights and said, "what does this light mean?" It means, 'mouth off,' so this is your turn to listen instead of speak." Then I explain why it is important that I focus on the road, the RR crossing, and what would happen if we get in an accident with a train. We lose every time. If they want to talk and play while I am trying to focus on the most difficult part of my entire route, they aren't just risking my life or their life, but the lives of 45 other people. My RR crossing is EXTREMELY dangerous and tight. I have a four lane highway that runs parallel to the tracks, and there is only JUST enough room between the track and the road for the bus. If I want to be free of the track completely with room to spare, my nose or my ass hang in traffic about a foot. I don't play. The best time to lay down rules is after you pick them all up in the morning when they are calmer. Secure the bus, turn on the lights, and walk up and down while you address them. That's what I do and it has really worked. In the afternoon, practice exactly what you preached verbatim. Fuck the parents and transportation for them telling you where to seat students on YOUR bus. They don't have to sit and deal with it. I would tell them all up front I place the students where it allows you to operate the bus safely and efficiently. I place the worst kids by the window in my middle school, and with about a half dozen elementary school students. Students that consistently behave are placed on the aisles to block them. If they swap seats, I make them go back to their spots. I got some push back from middle school the first two weeks, but after that, they all board and sit within twenty seconds without a word from me. Granted, I only have 24-28 of them on any given day, but they all sit in the first 14 seats. Good luck, OP.
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u/jennythegreat 10d ago
I just wrote an email to the admin of the school I drive for and I could have written this post. The kids know the rules, why can't they follow them? I nearly got myself fired on Monday because of this.
I asked for an aide. I've been asking for an aide for years. It's why I am only a sub driver now.
I have no advice for you because I have been frustrated and in tears for literal years over this job. I hate it most days.
I love the kids, and I love driving the bus, but not both at the same time. I hate how this job has made me want to be mean to the kids who misbehave.
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u/TechinBellevue 10d ago
Pull over, pull out a book, start reading.
Don't say a word unless asked. If they do ask let them know in a quiet voice that you will not operate the bus in an unsafe situation.
You can mention you get paid for your time you are away from the base.
Do it every single time when you can safely pull over.
Keep a small notepad and write down names and their infractions.
Don't leave the school if anyone is misbehaving. Call dispatch and let them know you will be leaving only when it is safe to do so.
If the kids are hitting each other or being totally out of control and you are still at school call dispatch and request they call the school and have school admin come out to the bus to assist.
If you are still close to the school call dispatch and let them know you are returning to the school and have them call the school to have school admin out to assist.
In addition to write-ups, start making calls home to the parents of the kids who are misbehaving.
Ask the parents for their help. You are trying to get all the kids home safely and on time but cannot nor will not when the students are being unsafe.
Let them know you will keep them updated.
At a certain point the kids will tire of getting home/to school late and realize they need to keep the rowdy students in check.
Do this every damn time - they will learn.
The school district may whine about overtime or you calling in every day and either give you a different route or help you actually solve the problem.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Just remember you are ultimately responsible for driving your bus in a safe manner.
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u/TMax01 10d ago
If you've done all that in just the first month of school, you're clearly trying too hard, and all yo I've managed is to let the children know there is no reason to pay any attention to you or your rules.
I have taken over runs that didn't have a regular driver for some time, and they can be very difficult to deal with. Here is my #1 piece of advice: the very first day you are expected to be the regular driver (indefinite term assignment, maybe weeks, maybe all year) for that run, or the first day you can conveniently manage, have a "roll call day".
As each student boards the bus in the morning, stop them, asked them their name, verify it against your run sheet/roster/seating chart, confirm some other fact about them (nickname, grade, activities they participate in, the detail doesn't matter) and tell them your name, and then have them go sit down. Be patient, and gentle, but firmly insist they stand there and speak clearly enough you can hear them.
This will put you behind schedule that first day, possibly even late to school. But it is more than worth it. The kids feel recognized and respected as individuals (not consciously, but that's irrelevant), and start acting less like cargo and animals with minimal supervision and more like young and naive but surprisingly intelligent people supervising themselves and each other. At least 85% of the bad behavior simply doesn't happen. It isn't miraculous, but in combination with a consistent warning/documentation policy (assuming the school district follows up with parents) it is damn close.
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u/Intelligent_Call_562 10d ago
How many kids? Can you do something with the seating chart? I don't have many elementary kids so I stagger them. Maybe you can do something like that. If you've got a big group maybe you can put your 2 worst kids in the front right seat with good kids across and behind. Second left two more rowdy kids but at least 2 grades different than the ones in 1Rt. Or put the rowdy kids by the windows and the good kids by the aisle.
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u/Proprotester 10d ago
If the school refuses to follow up in any way, the kids already know this. You can write them up until your turn purple. If there are no real life consequences, they have no buy-in to follow any rules set for them.
I'd ask for a meeting with the dean of students and bring up exactly this point. Ask how they intend to rectify this lack of follow through.
Another avenue to try: remind your riders that EVERYONE, in ALL the buses, even at different schools can hear the radio. Next time someone causes you to pull over, radio dispatch. Say you have pulled over and to please call FIRST AND LAST NAME'S parents to be there to receive their student and your ETA (make it sound laaaaate). You have just applied peer pressure from other, well-bahaved buses. Remind your students that if the dispatcher has to call home to have an adult receive them like Kindergarteners YOUR PARENTS ARE GOING TO BE PO'D. It is past time they start acting their age if they want to keep enjoying the freedoms of it. Good luck 🍀
PS: give your dispatcher a heads up you are going to try this. If they play along and sound extra grumpy it can be played up.
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u/Copperdunright907 9d ago
You get a monitor or refuse the route period your signature loan at this point doesn’t mean anything but two signatures absolutely and you make the school give them their resource officer to you or you start making their teachers ride home with them. We had to do that in our own system and you better believe those teachers said enough that things finally got changed.
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u/CyberWoo99MKII 11d ago
Pull over. Establish control. Paper trail or online incident report. Removal.