Bus Duty

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I did it.  Yep, my first formal request to the principal all year.  I requested to not have bus duty in the morning next year.  Trivial?  Perhaps.

However, after 5 years of doing it, I'm done...and it's not the sub-zero winter mornings in Minnesota that tipped the scales.

I'm done being the one that has to scold children for standing up, yelling, eating candy and doing whatever else the bus drivers deem inappropriate.

Here's how it works.  I'm standing outside, a bus pulls up, the driver gets off and says, "I've got two that I need you talk to."  What's missing?  A good morning?  Yep.  I always say good morning to the drivers when they talk to me despite the way they started talking to me.

Then, I listen to the driver for a minute.  Then I get to talk to the students.  "Hey Johnny, you know how to sit on the bus, right?  Johnny's head goes up and down.  "Okay, if you don't sit on the bus, then you won't be able to ride the bus.  Do you understand that?"

Yes, I have started every day like this for the past 5 years.  We have 600 students and it's only 2 or 3 every morning.  But I've started 2 or 3 student's school days with having to scold them.  Some of the little ones go away crying. (I don't do well with the little ones).  Not fun.

On the other hand, I do love being able to get a good morning in to the other 597 students.

It's just those two or three.  Let me stand outside my classroom door and welcome students to my classroom without having to scold anyone for not sitting on the bus.

[Note: This post in no way reflects on bus drivers.  I could not, repeat could not, do their job.  The vast majority of bus drivers do an outstanding job and are to be commended on their acts of heroism everyday getting students to and from schools.  You have my respect.]