WELCOME!!WELCOME!!2008 Southeastern States

Pupil Transportation Conference

Atlanta, Georgia

School Bus Driver School Bus Driver Behavior Management Behavior Management

Workshop Workshop July 16, 2008July 16, 2008

SESPTC Delegates

Presented by:

Brad Holley – Administrator

Alabama State Department of Education

Pupil Transportation Section

““The number one problem on buses is The number one problem on buses is not discipline. It is lack of procedures not discipline. It is lack of procedures

and routines.”and routines.”

Teach rules and procedures

sysemtaticallywith:

Explanation Rehearsal Feedback

MAKE VISIBLE, YOURMAKE VISIBLE, YOURINVISIBLEINVISIBLE

EXPECTATIONS!EXPECTATIONS!

RULESRULES

Are expected norms of behavior.Are expected norms of behavior. Are the “Constitution of the Are the “Constitution of the

Bus”.Bus”. Prevent or encourage certain Prevent or encourage certain

behaviors.behaviors. DO NOT CHANGE!DO NOT CHANGE! Are generally limited from 5 to 8.Are generally limited from 5 to 8.

PROCEDURESPROCEDURES

Are ways of getting activities done Are ways of getting activities done on your bus.on your bus.

Make tasks routine.Make tasks routine. Help achieve consistency, Help achieve consistency,

predictability, and are time saving.predictability, and are time saving. May change according to needs.May change according to needs. Have no prescribed number.Have no prescribed number.

Things to remember about Things to remember about rules:rules:

Bus rules should be consistent with Bus rules should be consistent with school rules and/or board policy.school rules and/or board policy.

Rules should be stated and Rules should be stated and consistent with students’ grade level consistent with students’ grade level and/or ability level.and/or ability level.

Rules must be doable.Rules must be doable. Rules should be easy to monitor.Rules should be easy to monitor.

And finally…And finally…

Rules should be consistent across Rules should be consistent across situations; they should not vary or situations; they should not vary or change.change.

Rules should be stated positively.Rules should be stated positively.

TEACHING BUS RULES!TEACHING BUS RULES!

- PUBLICIZE- PUBLICIZE- EXPLAIN AND EXEMPLIFY- EXPLAIN AND EXEMPLIFY- ENFORCE CONSISTENTLY- ENFORCE CONSISTENTLY

PUBLICIZEPUBLICIZE

Post the rules on the bus.Post the rules on the bus. Send copies of the rules home – one Send copies of the rules home – one

to be returned with parent signature to be returned with parent signature and one for parent to keep.and one for parent to keep.

Give students a copy of the rules.Give students a copy of the rules.

EXPLAIN AND EXEMPLIFYEXPLAIN AND EXEMPLIFY

Discuss specific expectations.Discuss specific expectations. For example: “Show respect to other For example: “Show respect to other

people on the bus”. For this rule to people on the bus”. For this rule to have meaning to students, they must have meaning to students, they must know both what and how to do know both what and how to do specific things that show respect. specific things that show respect. What does respect look, sound, and What does respect look, sound, and feel like?feel like?

MORE MORE EXPLAIN AND EXPLAIN AND EXEMPLIFYEXEMPLIFY Teach your riders to be responsible, Teach your riders to be responsible,

respectful, and resourceful.respectful, and resourceful. Have the students generate specific Have the students generate specific

examples of how they would show examples of how they would show responsibility, respect, and responsibility, respect, and resourcefulness on your bus.resourcefulness on your bus.

ENFORCE CONSISTENTLY!ENFORCE CONSISTENTLY!

Be firm, fair, impartial, and Be firm, fair, impartial, and consistent.consistent.

Relaxing the rules sends mixed Relaxing the rules sends mixed messages to students about messages to students about behavioral expectations.behavioral expectations.

Check to see if rules “say” what they Check to see if rules “say” what they really “mean”. For example: Does really “mean”. For example: Does “No Talking” mean total silence or “No Talking” mean total silence or whispering?whispering?

PROCEDURESPROCEDURES

Have procedures for almost Have procedures for almost everything.everything.

A single presentation may not be A single presentation may not be adequate.adequate.

““Telling” is not teaching.Telling” is not teaching. Procedures should be consistent ways Procedures should be consistent ways

of doing things.of doing things. Procedures do not lend themselves to Procedures do not lend themselves to

creative expression.creative expression.

Steps Needed to Steps Needed to Teach a ProcedureTeach a Procedure

1. Explanation1. Explanation2. Rehearsal2. Rehearsal3. Feedback3. Feedback4. Reteaching4. Reteaching

Explanation: “Show and Explanation: “Show and Tell”Tell”

Define a procedure in concrete Define a procedure in concrete terms.terms.

Give reason behind the need for the Give reason behind the need for the procedure – usually to motivate procedure – usually to motivate students to improve.students to improve.

Demonstrate: Demonstrate: Model Model the correct the correct procedures — procedures — “A picture is worth “A picture is worth more than a thousand words.”more than a thousand words.”

Rehearsal: “Practice, Rehearsal: “Practice, Practice,Practice,

Practice……….” Practice……….” Helps student learn appropriate Helps student learn appropriate

behavior.behavior. Provides feedback to the driver to Provides feedback to the driver to

see if reteaching is needed.see if reteaching is needed. Is crucial for whole-group or complex Is crucial for whole-group or complex

activities—lining up at bus stop, activities—lining up at bus stop, exiting the bus, etc.exiting the bus, etc.

Feedback: “How did we Feedback: “How did we do?”do?”

Your chance to tell students your are Your chance to tell students your are please with their behavior.please with their behavior.

Your chance to mention errors in Your chance to mention errors in behavior.behavior.

Your chance to stress the positive.Your chance to stress the positive. Your chance to review, state Your chance to review, state

expectations, rehearse again.expectations, rehearse again.

Reteaching: “One more Reteaching: “One more time…”time…” Cycle through again.Cycle through again. Re-explain.Re-explain. Rehearse again.Rehearse again. Give feedback again.Give feedback again.

““The art of being wise is The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.”knowing what to overlook.”

Children are not perfect.Children are not perfect. Expecting perfection is unrealistic Expecting perfection is unrealistic

and invites disappointment.and invites disappointment. Children will talk.Children will talk. Children will make mistakes.Children will make mistakes. Children will act inapropriately at Children will act inapropriately at

times.times.

Use the “Faculty” Meeting Use the “Faculty” Meeting RuleRule

Do not say or do anything to your Do not say or do anything to your rider that you would not feel rider that you would not feel comfortable having your supervisor comfortable having your supervisor say to you in a group meeting.say to you in a group meeting.

Use discretion by simply talking to a Use discretion by simply talking to a rider away from the rest of the riders rider away from the rest of the riders or in a quiet tone at his/her seat.or in a quiet tone at his/her seat.

CATCH YOUR RIDERS CATCH YOUR RIDERS BEING GOOD!BEING GOOD!

Keep your face to the sunshine Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.and you cannot see the shadows.

There are probably as many positives as There are probably as many positives as there are negatives on your bus.there are negatives on your bus.

If we look hard enough, we will find If we look hard enough, we will find something negative, if that’s where we something negative, if that’s where we put our focus.put our focus.

The good news is that the same holds The good news is that the same holds true for the positives on you bus.true for the positives on you bus.

It’s all too easy to get frustrated and It’s all too easy to get frustrated and begin focusing on “all that’s wrong.”begin focusing on “all that’s wrong.”

Effective bus drivers know Effective bus drivers know that focusing on the that focusing on the

positives on their buses positives on their buses will foster positive will foster positive

behaviors, overshadowing behaviors, overshadowing and eventually obliterating and eventually obliterating

the negatives.the negatives.

FEEDBACK!FEEDBACK!

THREE POSITIVES TO ONE THREE POSITIVES TO ONE NEGATIVE!NEGATIVE!

MAKE “DEPOSITS” SO THATMAKE “DEPOSITS” SO THAT

WITHDRAWALS ARE POSSIBLE WITHDRAWALS ARE POSSIBLE

WHEN NEEDED.WHEN NEEDED.

““I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the deciding element on my bus. I am the deciding element on my bus. It’s It’s

my personal approach that creates the my personal approach that creates the climate.climate. It’s my daily mood that makes It’s my daily mood that makes

the weather.the weather. As a bus driver, I possess a As a bus driver, I possess a tremendous power to make a person’s life tremendous power to make a person’s life

miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I torture or an instrument of inspiration. I

can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-whether a crisis will be escalated or de-

escalated and a person humanized or de-escalated and a person humanized or de-humanized.”humanized.”

This PowerPoint presentation may be found at:www.alsde.edu

Click on Sections,

Pupil Transportation,

Publications,

and then School Behavior Workshop

Contact Information:

Brad Holley – Alabama State Department of Education

Phone: 334-242-9730

Email: bholley@alsde.edu

THANK YOU!

HAVE A SAFE TRIP HOME!!!