Last Thursday was our first day together, and like any other endeavor in life, there is a bit of an adjustment, or learning curve, between students and bus driver. They've never met me and I've never met them. They don't know what I expect, as far as how to behave on a bus, and I don't know how they have behaved on the bus in the past. We all start out with a clean slate, so to speak.
Well, Day One went about 50/50 in my book.
I have a bus with a great sound system (FINALLY) and I'm taking full advantage of it. I recorded my own "Child appropriate" CD's. We listen to classical music on the way to school. This has worked out fantastic. I feel it's both culturally refining and helps the kids ease into their long school day. It's very soothing. In the afternoon, I like to reward the kids with music they all know and love. I made a "Kidz Bop" CD with songs like "Shake It Off", "Can't Stop The Feeling" and "Party in the USA". Well, the kids did love that part and at first it was working well as all the kids new the lyrics and happily sang along. BUT THEN..... they got the mistaken impression that standing up while the bus was moving, changing seats and turning around in their seats was perfectly okay. It is not. A couple times, I had to stop the music to correct such behavior. Remember, learning curve.
The next morning, we had a new passenger. An adorable young kindergartner who was very timid. He hadn't ridden the bus the day before, but he saw his big sister ride so he wanted to as well. I had him take a seat just a couple rows back and to my right. Probably the best place on a school bus for the driver to see what's going on. I picked up the rest of the kids (about 10 that morning) and they all sit in the last 4 rows. When we got to the school, I made the kids hold up. After securing my bus, I stood up and walked back to where the kindergartner was sitting. I had him stand and told all the other kids (ages 3rd and 4th grade) that we had a new student today. I told them his name and then I appointed a 4th grade girl to be my bus big sister for the day. I asked her to walk the new child into school and to make sure he got where he needed to be. She happily did so. You see I could have asked a boy, but boys tend to do things about half at that age. They would have ditched him the minute they got inside. Young ladies, on the other hand, are pleasers. They want to be the one erasing the chalk board. They want to be the one to show you their art project. They are the ones that will follow through with a task an adult ask them to.
On the way home that afternoon, I went over to where the new student was seated, made sure to ask him about his day, then offered him the chance to go back and sit with the bigger kids. Like I said, he was very timid. He chose to stay in the front of the bus. As I made my way back to the driver's seat, one of my 4th grade boys called the new child by name and asked him if he wanted to come back and sit with the rest of them. WOW! So very proud. I like to preach teamwork and friendship on my bus and these kids are already expressing it. He still chose to stay... timid.
When the "Kidz Bop" songs came on, he was delighted. As soon as a song came on that he knew (and he knew them all) he proudly stuck his little face around the seat in front of him just to let me know, "Hey, I know this song!" He smiled the whole way home. Then, when there where only two children left, the new kid and a 3rd grader. The 3rd grader requested to come up and sit with the kindergartner.
Let me repeat that. A 3rd grade boy... requested with out prompting... to sit next to a kindergartner.
It takes team work, to make the dream work.
Bus #80 is off to a great start!
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