1. Peaceful School Bus Henry County Schools Sneak Preview
Peaceful School Bus Henry County Schools Sneak Preview! WELCOME BACK TRANSPORTERS!

2. Family Outreach Coordinator for Henry County Schools
~A program for grades k-12~
Anna Arnold
Family Outreach Coordinator for Henry County Schools or
Don’t Laugh
© 2008 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

3. Henry County’s Two Safe, ORDERLY, Supportive Culture Initiatives : Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and Peaceful school bus
The attitude toward bullying has slowly changed over the past few years as we learn more about the negative impact of bullying on children, but we still have a long way to go. 3

4. What are some of the main components of Peaceful School Bus?
Clear Consistent Procedures
Relationships
Bus driver cannot monitor
every incident because
they must operate the
vehicle safely

5. Why do students bully on the bus?
The bus is a small, enclosed space where victims have no place to retreat or hide.
Victims have no choice for transportation but the bus making them an easy and regular target.
Others students have
nothing better to do other
than participate in the
bullying behavior.

6. Difficult environment (continued)
The noise level is very loud.
Sometimes you have a kid like this…
The bus has no visible connection to school or home.
The bus is often a cramped space.
Usually only overt physical actions are caught; more subtle problems are missed.
Problems that go undetected can escalate.

7. Why is the environment on a school bus so difficult to manage all types of misbehavior?
It is an impersonal environment: students all sit facing forward.
The driver is not looking directly at the students.
The driver is often farthest away from the students who are causing problems.

8. (And other behavior issues?)
What is required to reduce bullying and other behavior issues in schools and on the school bus is nothing less than a change in the school/bus climate and in norms for behavior.
This requires a comprehensive, school-wide effort involving the entire school community.
To stop bullying and other forms of harassment is not easy and CANNOT be done in isolation. It cannot be a one-time event or activity. It will take a comprehensive, whole-hearted approach. What is the payoff of this great effort? A positive school climate; increased student attendance; reduced student misbehavior; safer classrooms, hallways and buses. And it’s possible, even likely, that student achievement will increase.
work together 8

9. A Different Approach is Needed . . .
The Peaceful School Bus Program!

10. What is the Peaceful School Bus Program? A school-wide program
A program designed to decrease inappropriate behavior on the school bus
A program designed to create a climate of respect and cooperation on the bus
A program designed to change the social dynamics on the bus by building strong relationships among students, parents and transporter.

11. What are the goals of the program?
The main goal:
Develop a positive and safe environment of
the school bus for all students.

12. What does the research say about why students misbehave on the school bus?
Students anonymity-relationship with the driver- Students that did not know the driver’s name or had not developed any type of relationship with the driver were more much more likely to misbehave than those who knew the drivers.
Solution: Learn their names! Make a connection with them. (UGA Fan, sports, etc.)
Look at the long term negative impact unchecked bullying behavior has on the bully. Pay special attention to the last bullet: “Bullies were 4 times as likely as peers to have multiple convictions.” 12

13. What does the research say about why students misbehave on the school bus?
Bus drivers had no connection with them or their parents or caretakers- Students that did not know anything about the driver or have any real connection.
Solution: Put up pictures of your vacation, hobbies, or family. Call or contact parents whenever possible.
Look at the long term negative impact unchecked bullying behavior has on the bully. Pay special attention to the last bullet: “Bullies were 4 times as likely as peers to have multiple convictions.” 13

14. Solution: Create kid-friendly bus rules!
3. Bus riding has no clearly stated, kid-friendly rules- Students did not understand bus rules such as “Do not behave in a boisterous manner” and “If seats are not available, go to the rear of the bus, remain standing in the middle of the aisle, and grasp a seat bar firmly.”
Solution: Create kid-friendly bus rules!
Look at the long term negative impact unchecked bullying behavior has on the bully. Pay special attention to the last bullet: “Bullies were 4 times as likely as peers to have multiple convictions.” 14

15. How can we achieve the Peaceful School Bus Goals?
Every person has a role in implementing the philosophy that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at all times. That is why we need to learn and practice some of the strategies from Love and Logic and Positive Discipline!

16. Positive Discipline Gives an Understanding of Why People Do What They Do
A misbehaving student is a discouraged student. When students believe they don’t belong, they usually choose one of the four mistaken goals of behavior:
1. Undue Attention: The student’s goal is to keep others busy or to get special services. The coded message they are sending is: “Notice me” ; “Involve me”.
2. Misguided Power: The student’s goal is to be boss. The coded message they are sending is: “Let me help” ; “Give me choices”.
3. Revenge: The student’s goal is to get even. The coded message they are sending is: “Help me” ; “I’m hurting” ; “Acknowledge my feelings”.
4. Assumed Inadequacy: The student’s goal is to give up and be left alone. The coded message they are trying to send is: “Show me small steps” ; “Celebrate my successes”.

17. Strategy I: Go Brain-dead when children try to argue with you!
Use a Love and Logic One-liner…
“Probably so.”
“I respect you too much to argue with you.”
“I know.”
“That’s a good one.”
“Nice try.”
“Could be.”
“Hope you get over that feeling - I love you lots.”
“I will talk to you when your voice is as respectful as mine.”
Continue to say your one-liner until the child understands that you will not be hooked into an argument.

18. Strategy 2: Delay Consequences
Instead of telling the students that you are going to write them up, say… “Oh that’s a problem, I’m going to have to do something about that. But not right now, try not to worry.”
When you say you are going to write them up, they may view that as a weakness on your part. In their minds, they say, “She/He can’t control me so she/he has to get someone else to do it!” When you delay the consequences, the students don’t know who has the power. The Peaceful School Bus Team delivers the consequences.
With the statement “Try not to worry about it” the students are required to do much more thinking and therefore learning when they find themselves having to anticipate what consequence their bus driver will apply.
“You know that is against the Peaceful School Bus rules. I’m going to have to do something about that. But not right now, try not to worry.”

19. Strategy 3:Developing Empathetic Relationships!
Greet them with a smile and “Good Morning.” If they missed a day, say “Missed you yesterday: hope everything is OK.”
Discover a connection with each of your students. One might be UGA fan. Someone might like the color pink. Connect with them in the first few weeks of school.
If there is obviously something wrong, express empathy first.
“This must really hurt.”
“This is so sad.”
“I’m sorry you feel so bad.”
“You sound really frustrated.” I know that feels bad.”

20. Strategy 4: Enforceable Statements The key to setting enforceable limits is to describe what WE are going to do instead of telling the students what THEY should do. Instead of…“Don’t you talk to me in that tone of voice!” “I’ll be glad to listen when your voice is as soft as mine.”   Instead of… “You need to treat each other with respect!” “I look forward to talking to you when you are treating me with as much respect as I am treating you.”   Instead of… “Keep your hands to yourself!” “I allow students to sit wherever the want when they are not causing a problem.”    Instead of… “As long as you ride on this bus, you’re not going to eat or drink anything!” “You’ll be able to eat your snacks as soon as I drop you off. It won’t be very long.”

21. Activity: Enforceable Statements
  Example: “If you don’t get back in your seat, this bus is not moving!” “We will be on our way when everyone is in their seats.”   “Stop yelling at each other. You are driving me crazy!” ________________________________________________  “I will not listen to any more of your sass. You are going to end up off this bus if you don’t watch out.” __________________________________________________  “Let me hear another word out of you and you get a write up.” __________________________________________________     Remember to show students: Kindness Firmness Sincerity

22. The most successful transporters follow enforceable statements with questions. Example: “I listen to one person at a time.” “So, how do you get me to listen?” “I will be leaving as soon is everyone is in their seat.” “When will I be leaving?” “I allow students to stay on the bus when they are not causing a problem for others.” “When do students get to stay on the bus?”

23. What are the program’s key principles?
Principle 1: Accept problems as opportunities for learning.
Principle 2: Change the social environment of the school bus and students’ behavior will change.

24. Key Principles (continued)
Principle 3: Influence can be powerful in changing behavior.
Principle 4: Changing the social environment and improving each student’s experience on the bus is a shared responsibility.

25. Key
Principles
(continued)
Principle 5: Problems will still occur but they will be easier to resolve if they’re identified when they are small rather than when they are big.

26. Key Principles (continued)
Principle 6: Students
must develop a sense of
responsibility or the sense
that they can affect change
in a variety of positive ways.
Principle 7: Significant
change takes time and
commitment.
Principle 8: Education works.
Video

27. A bus route team is . . .
A group of students who regularly ride to and from school together on a school bus.

28. Why use the Peaceful School Bus Program?
It approaches school bus problems from a positive perspective.
It moves schools from a reactive approach to a proactive approach (Enforceable Statements).
It puts character education into practice.
It demonstrates the school’s commitment to parents and students.
It creates a greater sense of teamwork among school staff members and bus drivers.

29. What is the role of a bus route team leader?
Meet and greet students as they arrive at the bus route group meeting location.
Participate in the meeting activities.
Continually evaluate the program’s effectiveness.

30. What happens at a bus route Team meeting?
At the start, the bus route leader should thank students for coming, introduce himself/herself, assistants, and the transporter.
Use an effective way of getting the attention of students throughout the meeting (hand raising, a bell, etc.) and demonstrate this.
Check to see if students are understanding the directions you are giving them.
Form pairs of students with one younger and one older student.
Give energizers and/or warm-ups to the pairs of students right away so that they can have fun together and get to know each other.

31. What is our ultimate Goal? Relationships
Bus Route Team meetings provide incredible opportunities to build relationships with your students, administrators, parents, and teachers!
Here is the TALE of TWO BUSES!

32. The Impact of Relationships
Years ago a Johns Hopkins’ professor gave a group of graduate students this assignment: Go to the slums. Take 200 boys, between the ages of 12 and 16, and investigate their background and environment. Then predict their chances for the future.
The students, after consulting social statistics, talking to the boys, and compiling much data, concluded that 90 percent of the boys would spend some time in jail.
Twenty-five years later another group of graduate students was given the job of testing the prediction. They went back to the same area. Some of the boys - by then men - were still there, a few had died, some had moved away, but they got in touch with 180 of the original 200. They found that only four of the group had ever been sent to jail.
Why was it that these men, who had lived in a breeding place of crime, had such a surprisingly good record? The researchers were continually told: "Well, there was a teacher..."
They pressed further, and found that in 75 percent of the cases it was the same woman. The researchers went to this teacher, now living in a home for retired teachers. How had she exerted this remarkable influence over that group of children? Could she give them any reason why these boys should have remembered her?
"No," she said, "no I really couldn't." And then, thinking back over the years, she said musingly, more to herself than to her questioners: "I loved those boys...."
Bits & Pieces - June 1995
Economics Press
You never know the impact you’ll have on someone’s life by simply loving your job and the people you come in contact with throughout your day.

33. What Could Happen If I loved the Kids that I Came in Contact With Each Day and Built Relationships With Them?

34. Recognition for Success!
The Peaceful School Bus of the Month Award!
Shout Out to the Transporter & Surprises!

35. Our Peaceful School Bus Rules
S tay seated at all times; the driver may tell you where to sit.
A lways respect others, the bus, and yourself.
F linging things in or out of the bus is not allowed.
E ating, drinking, and smoking on the bus are not allowed.
T alk quietly; no hurtful words.
Y ou are responsible for your actions.

36. “So let’s pull together to Have the BeST YEAR EVER!”
Everyone has to pull in the same direction together to stop bullying.
“So let’s pull together to
Have the BeST YEAR EVER!” 36

37. A time for questions and answers . . .
We All want to be treated with dignity and respect!
Anna Arnold
Family Outreach Coordinator for Henry County Schools or