Positive Behavior Support for Bus Drivers
One of the non-classroom areas in primary PBIS intervention should be the bus. Most administrators will attest to the fact that many issues arise at the bus stop or on the bus. Bus drivers are trained in driving the vehicle, maintaining the vehicle and handling emergencies. The strategies for dealing with targeted behaviors in the classroom will not be useful to the bus driver. The bus driver training provided in this section will focus on three areas: 1) riding the bus, 2) providing inservice to the drivers, and 3) providing follow-up support.
Before any training can occur, it is imperative for the trainers to actually ride a few buses. It is nearly impossible for the bus drivers to believe the message, if they do not believe the people delivering the message know what they deal with on a day in and day out basis. Ideally, the riding of the buses should occur about a week before the training as this gives the drivers time to tell each other who rode their bus. Empathy is a very important part of the training.
Bus drivers are usually available from 9 a.m. till about 2 p.m., therefore two days of training is optimal but the training can be shortened to one day if necessary. The PowerPoint below will guide the trainer through the steps giving the bus drivers opportunities to share their thoughts and develop their own tools. The more information generated by the drivers, the better "buy-in" from the drivers.
Ideally, the bus drivers would like to make their own videos about appropriate behavior on the bus. Some bus drivers have developed a song about riding the bus, some have developed cheers, and some develop movies using their own children as the appropriate role models on the bus.
The booklet below is also a useful tool for giving the bus drivers more tools for their toolbelt in dealing with children's behavior while riding the bus. These strategies have been field tested in some of the largest cities in the United States and have proven effective in bus driver satisfaction and decreased office discipline referrals for bus behavior.
PowerPoint To Train Bus Drivers
Booklet to Give Bus Drivers
Informational Booklet on Disabilities and How They Might Affect The Bus Ride