School bus drivers from districts around the region gathered for special training at Indian Lake High School this week.
More than 100 drivers from Indian Lake, Riverside, Ben Logan, Bellefontaine, Ridgemont, Urbana, and West Liberty-Salem Schools met with applied behavior analysis professor Dr. Jon Burt from Educator’s Media Resource Group and the University of Louisville.
Burt stressed the importance of considering bus drivers as educators who are critical front line workers at school.
They practiced evidence-based strategies to safely and effectively deal with challenges that arise on the way to and from school. As a group they worked on ways to develop relationships with students, deescalate minor behavior issues and avoid triggering major behavior problems on the bus.
“Give them a choice of the quality of their life by telling them you can choose to stay seated and we’re going to get to school on time or you can choose to get out of your seat and there will be a bus referral and phone call home. The choice is yours,” Dr. Burt explained.
“Empowering them with the tools to make appropriate choices and then beyond that, no matter what choice they make, the message needs to be we care about you.”
This week’s training was part of required state bus driver training that takes place annually.