i broke my bus...

Yesterday my poor service door fell apart.  The bottom had rusted out from the weather and age.  The weather striping fell off first then the whole bottom fell off.  So bus 30 was out of service yesterday and part of today.  It poured rain here yestereday afternoon and I was assigned a rear engine bus as a replacement.  I hadn't driven one in a long time.  I had monitor too, because my new junior high pm route is a bit rowdy plus my grade schoolers seem to think that screaming is ok.  I did fine. 

I ended up putting one of my problem children up front with me, she tends to get the junior high kids wound up and bouncing off the walls of the bus.  She just talked and I listened.  Seems she has some problems at home.  Explains a lot.  I am going to continue to give her the option to sit up front and talk to me. 

Some kids have it tough...I really feel like I should listen, and not judge.

 

Bless the children...

gotta go bus 30 is fixed and I need to move my stuff back into it from the other bus.

Have a great day!

Well, today is Sunday and I am resting up for next week.  I've been working Saturdays lately so my week sure does seem longer.  BUT I will be doing the happy dance on payday. 

I was asked/told to switch P.M. junior high routes last week.  The girl that had the route wasn't able to get to her grade school in a timely manner so we traded.  My grade school is just as far, but I guess there was a bunch of problems on her route.  Some girls zapped another girl with a zapping cell phone her.  And she had some other problems with them.  She took my 'great' group, but I did notice Friday that the kids were standing up in the back of the bus...I was behind her.  Wow, I guess she needs to take some of the blame for the bad behavior, because those kids never stood upon the bus for me.

I drove it Thursday and Friday.  Thursday the kids had their fundraiser candy bars, so I said go ahead eat the candy but I don't want any wrappers on the floor, ok cool no wrappers.  Friday was bad in that right before dismissal there was an accident on my route to their stops.  So I had to re-route which was way out of my way.  Plus another driver parked in my spot so instead of being 3rd in line I was about 15th.  I was already aggrevated when we got going.  But I played it cool and friendly, acting like I didn't already know they kids had a reputation of being bad.

I got to see my new group in action.  There is a set of tattle taling twin girls, a brother and sister team who love to stand up.  A older girl who gives everybody orders, and another girl who hops up and down in her seat.  All in the way back of the bus. So tomorrow, we will be having the stay in you seat talk.  I know they will say that their old driver let them walk around and stand up...but he's not there I am.  If I have to stop the bus until they do sit, I'll do that.  Kids hate that-they want to go home.

 Besides my first year of driving I subbed for a month on the bus that had the worst group ever.  These kids walked on top of the seats, threw porno out the windows, had a snow ball fight in the bus, sniffed hairspray (one girl fainted), when I wrote them up they threw the detention at me.  So I am already quite experienced in dealing with rowdy junior high darlings. 

 

THEY don't know what they are in for.  I always kill 'em with kindness, works everytime!  Besides we have all year...

 

 

ugh mondays...

Today was a true to form Monday...1st thing I come in and our bus supervisor asks me, "what happened Saturday?"  I am like, "hmmmmm I dunno what happened?"  Seems another driver clipped the bus I drove on the sports trip, while parking her bus.  And while they were out there looking at the damage they saw that the bumper was pushed in on the bus also.  I never saw it...or I overlooked it when I was checking out the bus during the pretrip.  I did not make the dent!  That bus was drove by 2 other drivers last week.  They say they didn't do it either nor saw the bumper pushed in. 

I was bummed by this, but I also heard throughout the day that it was like that for a long time...oh well, it'll work out....I just need to be more careful when pretripping different buses other than my own. 

My grade school kids are shaping up very nicely...I've been praising them for good behavior...plus my trusty whistle, gets 'em every time.

Time to rest!

better

It's amazing what a whistle will do to bring order to a bus load of rowdy grade schoolers.  We are beginning to have an understanding.  I drove a sports trip today for the JV soccer team.  I got home before it got too hot.

Now I am going to get carryout Chinese food...ah gotta love the weekend!

It's gonna be a long year

                   

This is going to be one long year.  I spoke too soon in that although I don't work a lot of hours I work my tail off while I am there.

The second day of school the grade school put two of my kids on the wrong buses.  One kid knew where he lived so the driver took him home.  My other kid wasn't so lucky.  The 2-way at work was jammed as we now contract out some of our schools, so these drivers along with ours, adds up to 11 grade schools, plus special ed, plus DLL (dual language kids) were either calling dispatch via phone or radio...so you figure if even each school puts just one wrong kid on a bus all hell breaks loose.

I had a freaking out mother on my hands...and the driver that had my kid...she just called her bus number to base over and over, and of course base is swamped.  All she had to do is say that she had my kid.  I said the kid's name over the radio at least 3 times.  Anyway that little guy now smiles at me and says "i am here rose!!"

So on Thursday I feel like I got the crap beat out of me.

Friday was better...one of early childhood mom's even made sure she changed her kid's stinky pants BEFORE he got on my bus...much nicer ride that way.

BUT today, again, parents who don't want to follow the rules.  One of mine thinks I should go in her court because her daughter naps and she doesn't want to walk out to meet the bus with her 4 year old (this is my early childhood midday).  She tells me that some one at base said it was ok for me to go in there.  I check ... NAH!  she's just telling me what she wishes.  My midday is pretty ok, though I have a great monitor, and great little kids...all boys!  7 take home then I go back and take in 8.

Plus I get Wednesdays off...so I am off from 9:00 am until 2:30!

Today, I get to my last stop and I have an extra kid...ISH!!  This kid has speech problems, plus he's ready to start bawling.  I look in his backpack for his full name.  NOPE just his speech homework with his first name.  This kid is only in 1st gradeand NOTHING is labeled!  He also doesn't know where he lives.

So I learn from last time trying to get a call into base I say, after 3 tries "I HAVE AN EXTRA KID!"  They tell me where he goes and I pull to his house and ask who's watching him...his sister.  Sis comes out and didn't even know the kid was late!  WOW!

Parents PLEASE label your kids, if they can't speak clearly or God forbid they get scared and can't tell an adult!

But on the lighter note my grade school kids really like praise so I am doing that and they are really behaving for me, except for a couple who think they can change seats while I am driving...which is a Bus driver Rose's no -- no.

I am going to rest...at least tomorrow is Wednesday....

I'll get used to the madness...

I WILL get used to the madness...

I will!  I will!

labor day

I am off, the first two days of school where truly, truly, and I mean truly a big mess.

I am really going to earn my pay this year with the grade school group that I have!  But with all kids, I know how to whip them into line!

Gonna enjoy the rest of the weekend!