Suggestions for Passenger Management: "Bus Rules"
The following information is intended to provide school bus drivers with some ideas and suggestions for effective passenger management.
In order to ensure the students remain safe as they travel to and from school on the bus, there must be co-operation between school bus operators, school vehicle drivers, students, their parents and the school and school board of trustees.
The school bus is an extension of the classroom. Rules of acceptable conduct should be established and adhered to. A "Code of Conduct" should be established in partnership between the school bus operator, the BOT and the school. Input from parents and students should be acknowledged as well. To be effective, this information must be shared among the school, parents and students, school bus drivers and operators.
The three principles which govern school bus safety should be:
1. safety
2. order
3. respect
Drivers are responsible for the physical and emotional safety of the children who ride on their bus, as well as for their own safety. The child must be confident that the bus is a safe place.
The school bus driver has an obligation to maintain order and control. This control is compromised if passengers interfere with the service of the bus, or are doing things that will distract the care and attention of the driver.
Everyone on the school bus, drivers and passengers, must respect the rights of others. Behaviour which compromises this respect should not be tolerated.
Any problem that occurs on the school bus will be the result of something interfering with one or more of these basic principles. The most valuable tools available to a bus driver are good judgement and common sense.
Acceptable behaviour must be identified, and the penalities for unacceptable behaviour must be clearly stated and conveyed so they will be understood by all. This could be through letter being sent home to all parents (whether their children use buses regularly or not. The letter would include the "school bus rules", and the sanctions for non-compliance. Parents would be required to read this information with their children, and both children and parents will sign and return a tear-off portion of the form to the school.
Additional suggestions for ensuring good passenger / school bus driver relations:
· be on time
· make sure passengers and parents are aware of the schedule and the appropriate bus stop for their children
· greet students (by name if possible), and say goodbye
· recognize and reward good behaviour
· make sure that children get off at their own bus stop
· on school trips, count passengers before leaving and after every stop in which students leave the bus
· always check the bus at the end of the run to make sure that all passengers have left the bus
Establishing rules of conduct-Students:
· students are expected to board the bus promptly and carefully, to take their seats and to make sure that bags and other belongings are not in the aisle.
· students must remain seated and facing forward while the bus is in motion
· children may speak and chatter amongst themselves quietly, but crying out or shouting are not allowed
· passengers are not allowed to distract the driver
· passengers must not open windows without permission.
· passengers are not allowed to throw things about, or from the bus
· fighting or horseplay is not allowed
Establishing rules of conduct-Bus Driver:
· the school bus driver is not only responsible for the safe transportation of school bus passengers, but also for their safety on the bus.
· to avoid problems-rules and responsibilities need to be established early, communicated, and maintained in a fair and consistent manner.
· do not ridicule students, or embarrass them in front of their peers
· treat passengers courteously and firmly. By showing respect, you will receive respect in return.
· explain the consequences their actions will have, and then follow through.
· do not argue or debate: explain the behaviour expected; repeat if necessary so the student understands. Ask questions in a calm, respectful, curious voice. Avoid accusations by not asking "why are you ...".
The Process:
The driver should try to resolve issues on the bus, using positive approaches to promote the principles of safety, order and respect. The process for dealing with unacceptable behaviour should be laid out in written form. Drivers should ensure that unacceptable behaviour is fully documented. For chronic problems, the following guidelines may help:
First offence:
Verbal warning. The driver warns the student that the behaviour is unacceptable and records the warning.
Require the child to sit in the front seat of the bus. This way of dealing with unacceptable behaviour should be time-limited: if the child behaves properly for a set period of time, the child may, at the discretion of the driver, return to his or her own seat, or move back to his or her seat in stages.
Second Offence:
The driver completes a "student behaviour report." This report may be found in the back of the logbook, or operators may have developed their own forms.
This form is submitted to the principal of the school for follow-up. It outlines the unacceptable behaviour. Once this course of action has been followed, it is important that the bus driver follow through by informing the school. If safety rules are not followed, and the bus driver is distracted, the safety and lives of other children as well as the motoring public is endangered.
Dealing with unacceptable behaviour
· document unacceptable behaviour. Write down the details: note the circumstances and provide the information to the school authorities, if possible on the day of occurrence. Keep a copy for your records.
· try to be proactive: develop a consistent plan for dealing with unacceptable behaviour:
o Have the child write down
§ what they did
§ the school bus rule that was broken
§ how they will deal with the problem in the future
· do not make threats: if you say that a note will be given to the principal, follow through. Inconsistency will result in chaos.
· if it is necessary to eject a student from riding on the school bus, do so only into the hands of the parents, principal or police.
· learning students' names will help to build a relationship and to encourage students to take more responsibility for their behaviour.
· if necessary, assign seats to separate students who may misbehave if allowed to interact
· making sure that the bus is clean will encourage good behaviour
· do not lose your temper. This compromises your status as a professional.
· always be consistent.