In my previous article I discussed the importance of school support staff. I also talked about how these people were often misunderstood or not given the credit that they deserve.
My previous article addressed educational assistants and custodians. In this article I will continue to address the support staff that help to make a school successful.
Many think that school bus drivers do little work. They take the children to school and come pick them up in the afternoon to take them home. This is true. However it takes much more than being able to drive a bus to be a school bus driver. A good bus driver has more than just his or her commercial driver’s licenses. A school bus driver must be able to relate with children and with stand distractions while driving.
While driving the bus, the school bus driver is in charge of the children’s behavior. Although the bus driver is limited on forms of discipline that can be given, the driver must have a behavior system for the children to follow. The driver must also be aware of the school and the school system’s policies when it comes to children on the bus.
The driver must be able to check on the children while driving the bus. The driver will have many distractions while driving. The driver must be able to control the actions and voices of the children while also driving the bus safely. The driver should be able to communicate well with the children. The bus driver is the first person that the children see at the beginning of their school day. School bus drivers also take students on field trips and to other school events such as ball games.
Due to school bus driver shootings in the past, the driver also has to watch for his or her own safety when it comes to dealing with adolescents in the school bus.
Should School Buses have Seat Belts?
Once Upon a Time on the School Bus
Promoting Good School Bus Behavior