The Bus Driver
15 Years Experience
South, ..
Female, 37
I have been a bus driver since late 2006. I know the inside story, the scoop, the down low dirt of what it takes to be a bus driver, how to handle kids and adults, and how to survive on the "streets" so to speak. I used to have a blog, feel free to browse it or ask me a question here.
This is a good question, and definitely one I will probably co-post on my blog. Things I recommend for bus drivers to have on hand:
Kleenex - You can never have too many Kleenex. Kids are always asking for a tissue.
Paper towels - Not to be confused with Kleenex, paper towels are always handy for cleaning up spills and other larger messes such as when rain comes in the leaky roof of a bus.
Hand sanitizer - more for yourself than the kids, but some drivers keep it handy for the kids as well.
Baby wipes - If you prefer baby wipes to hand sanitizer, these can serve double duty as cleansing items for the seats and surrounding areas.
Cleaning supplies - most bus barns will provide cleaning supplies for a driver to maintain general cleanliness of their bus. This includes windex, lysol, and other antibacterial agents for cleaning the bus.
Puke powder - yes the name sounds awful but it is essential for that child that you will eventually have that vomits everywhere.
Trashcans and trash bags - again self explanatory, but if you promote a clean bus, most of the trash the children will make will find its way into the can.
Broom - A strong and sturdy broom to reach those hard to get areas, brooms also aid in killing random bugs and other pests that find their way into your bus.
Log book/folder - Your bus barn is going to ask you to handle paperwork, it is handy to have a folder to use to keep all paperwork in. It also helps to keep a current copy of your CPR certification on hand.
Bus roster - This is majorly important if you are in an accident or if a child needs to contact their parents for whatever reason. You need to know who is on your bus at any given time. This goes for bus passes too - I usually keep those for about 2 weeks, then toss them. Things in a bus roster should include the following: Name of the student, Grade/School, Address, Emergency and Parent numbers, and any allergies or special conditions one should be aware about. Your bus barn should provide a form for children and parents to fill out and return to you.
Route description - make sure a route description is handy on your bus for those inevitable days that you are going to be sick. A route description is a lifesaver for sub drivers who do not know your kids. Also, make sure a roster is attached to each route description so that the sub driver can have it available immediately in the case of an emergency.
Bus seating chart - It may be a good idea for you to assign your passengers seats. The seat assignments are also helpful for identifying problem passengers.
Clearly posted rules - these can help students realize what rules they are supposed to follow on the bus. I recommend going over the rules with each group of kids that enter your bus.
Citation/write-up folder - make sure you have a folder full of blank citation/write-up sheets. Explain to students that if they do not follow the rules they are going to get a verbal warning from you, you will talk to their parents, and then if they persist, you will write them up and turn them into the school. Explain that there are consequences for receiving a write-up such as a change in assigned seat to one of the front seats (or a least desireable location). I know of one bus driver that had all of her children sitting up front and left the back of the bus as no-mans-land. There were at least 6 seats between the last group of students and the very back of the bus. A misbehaving child was sent to sit in the last seat by himself, which wasn't viewed as a reward as there was noone around him to help him disobey.
Offer little treats and incentives - Maybe you could develop a positive behavior system on your bus. Some bus drivers use gum as an incentive, or lollypops. If the children behave (for the most part) all week, they get a treat on Fridays. You may want to have them work towards a pizza party or an icecream treat. When I drove for an after school program, I brought things like cupcakes, and on the last day of after school, I brought ice pops since it was so hot out. The kids will appreciate these little treats.
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The bright flashing lights are known as strobe lights and they are on the roof of the bus for visibility reasons. Just like a garbage truck or a street cleaner or a snow plow will have flashing lights on it, a school bus is something that requires lots of visibility due to the precious cargo we transport every day. Our student lights will flash amber/yellow and red and our stop signs will come out and flash. Some newer models have included strobe lights in the stop sign to increase visibility to distracted drivers. If the light is low level or there is heavy fog, snow, or rain, the strobe light allows drivers to spot our vehicles from several feet and allow other drivers to take necessary precautions when driving in those conditions.
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Hi T-Dog,
There are various reasons why kids get written up on the school bus, and what happens to them depends on what they did. For a student who disrespected the bus driver, the consequence might be a warning the first time, then subsequent suspensions ranging anywhere from 1-10 days depending on the number of other write-ups the student has received. But, for a student who may have been physically fighting on the bus, the school may opt to jump over the "warning" stage and simply go right to suspension.
In my district, the general progression of write-ups is warning, 1-3 days off, 3-5 days off, 5-7 days off, 10 days off, then permanently off for the rest of the semester/year.
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That would be a question for an auto mechanic. Unfortunately I am a bus driver, but there happens to be an auto mechanic on jobstr. Hope you get an answer.
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Bar Mitzvah DJ
What's the craziest thing you've seen at a bar mitzvah?
Chick-fil-A General Manager
How often do you have to fire someone, and does it ever get ugly?
Audiologist
Can just one loud concert do serious damage to your ears?
"w. dog" - First I am not sure what you're asking because I actually read english and write in english. Second, please feel free to resubmit your question using proper english sentences.
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I had to look up what dual tier vs. single tier is first. If I understand it correctly, dual tier is when school bus routes are split by grade level, for example: 1 elementary run, 1 middle school run, and 1 high school run. There are advantages and disadvantages to both systems. I grew up in a multi-tier system whereas when I moved and became a bus driver myself, it is now single tier. I suppose the district is trying to save money and time by consolidating all the dual routes into single routes. As for them not wanting to pay insurance for their employees, that is a different beast all together. I don't see the change from dual to single backfiring, but I do see a lot of backlash over the health insurance issue, especially if you live in a state like mine which does not offer expanded medicaid under the new "Obamacare" health fiasco. Lots of businesses are looking for ways to cut corners thanks to the aforementioned three ring circus in DC.
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First off - is the dirt road a dead end road? Secondly - is the dirt road a road that gets a significant amount of traffic? I ask these questions because dirt roads can vary. If there is not alot of traffic going down your particular dirt road, then a sidewalk is not really needed or necessary. It won't kill kids to walk a little bit. (For my readers, 200 yards is about 2 football fields long.) Unless your child is in 1st grade or younger, then there is really no reason why they couldn't walk a little bit. Chances are good the only folks who will be coming down your dirt road will be neighbors who live nearby and you likely let them walk over to the neighbors house. Additionally, if the road is a dead end (as many dirt roads are), there may not be a place for a school bus to turn around. If you are still concerned, you can always meet the bus in your vehicle in order to collect your children.
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