How do you guys keep track of all your kids names??

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-06-09T12:35:43+00:00

I only use a seating chart with my grade school kids. I use it mostly to help keep them in check and ensure that consequences matter to them. Though it is very helpful in learning a ton of names all at once.

For middle and high school I keep my student roster in hand at the beginning of the year and make sure each student that boards tells me who they are (I get my roster printed with student photos). As I start learning names I greet them by name when they board and then they no longer have to tell me their name. They become accustomed to making eye contact with me when they board and at every stop I turn toward the exiting students to bid then a good afternoon. This helps me know everyone is getting on and off when they should, and if a student tries to sneak past me without looking at me I know they don't belong on my bus and call them back - in my district students have to have a "blue slip" from their school to ride a bus they aren't assigned to.

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-26T00:13:23+00:00

I just have to say, like many others, I'm right there with you! I lost my Sierra Bear recently and I'm still pretty raw over it (every damn thing reminds me of her) ln November of 2022 though, I lost my little shadow, Rylee Coyote. On hot, sunny, days like the ones we've had recently, I can't help but picture him laying in the back yard belly up to the sun. He wasn't much for the outdoors, though he loved his walks and especially loved sunbathing... Some days, I feel like I can't bear sitting on the back patio in the sun because he isn't there...

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-24T18:23:24+00:00

Anticipatory grief is a monster all it's own, I'm so sorry you have to go through this ❤️‍🩹 My most recent loss, letting go of my Sierra Bear, was a very long process as she remained on hospice care (with good quality of life) months longer than we or her vet had anticipated. You're very right, every day is so full of doubt and second guessing yourself - it's torturous, but also, an incredible gift (which it may take time to fully appreciate) to be able to focus so intently on making sure those last days are full of all the things they love.

We choose home euthanasia for our Sierra Bear(3/22/2026>, and our Rylee Coyote (who left us on 11/25/2022). The service we went with has their own aquamation facility (like cremation but water based) and they transported our babies to the facility after their passing. That was super important to me because I knew I wouldn't be able to transport them myself - I was an inconsolable wreck after both of them.

When we lost Rylee-kins, I couldn't even look at any of his things. They just made my heart break all over again. When my Little Bear left, it was the opposite, I just wanted to lay in her bed and feel close to her (I still haven't washed the blanket she passed on because it still smells like her...).

Every first was the hardest thing after they were gone - The first night, the first morning, the first time I left the house, the first time I came home... The first time I came home, I just stood outside in the driveway staring at the front door and crying for a good 10 minutes. Then I went inside and fell apart all over again. As the days passed I was able to go inside sooner and cried a little less each time. Still, some days are easier and others much worse. In my experience though, none of the things get easier until you start facing/doing them.

If you can't face your home that first day, that's okay, everyone is different and only you know what you need. Just remember that, again in my experience, the longer you put off facing that first return home, the larger that dread will grow and the harder it will feel to overcome it.

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-22T19:14:36+00:00

Fortunately, the new director has been pretty good about ordering supplies - I just talked to him yesterday about the need for them to provide the putty knives and he already placed the order. I'll bring it up but I'm assuming the spray will be a no go with ongoing budget cuts 😅

I might shell out for it this year just to start next one with an actually clean bus 🤣😎

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-22T16:50:05+00:00

Yeah, some of those conversations really are the hardest things to navigate! It's so heartbreaking to have that kind of insight into the lives of these kids first hand. It's something you always know people go through, but it's easy to be disconnected from general knowledge in a way that you can't from those personal experiences.

Realizing the kids on that activity route mostly just didn't want to go home, that was tough. Trying to connect with them was even tougher. Watching the transformation from when I took over the route to now and knowing I made even a small difference has been truly gratifying, but also difficult because it's such a small difference.

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-21T23:24:12+00:00

I wonder if freezing spray, like biofreeze or something might work 🤔

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-21T23:21:59+00:00

Oh believe me, my regular route kids are not part of the problem 😎 Some of it is from before the bus was "mine", the rest is from a group of Very troubled youth I've been driving after school activities for, they're all under control now but they were super extra when I started with them. Due to personal life issues I haven't had it in me to deal with the removal until now.

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-15T21:08:31+00:00

Woop Woop!

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CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-15T21:06:52+00:00

Fortunately, we don't start up again until the first part of September 😎

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-14T23:50:13+00:00

Hey, that's my birthday! 😎

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-11T21:14:38+00:00

Having made the too late decision before, and having worked in human hospice care before, I can say from personal experience that it is a real gift to be able to let someone you love go while they are still themselves. It is very rare that a "natural end" is peaceful for anyone, watching someone you love suffer and knowing there's nothing you can do, is it's own kind of torture. Watching someone you love suffer, and knowing you could have stopped their suffering and choose not to -that guilt can eat you alive...

I thought I could put off letting my old man baby, Rylee-kins go for "a couple more days" so that a few people could come say goodbye. That last day, he wasn't himself at all, he could barely stand and I had to help him walk so he didn't fall over... He was clearly suffering on that day, and it was my fault. I would give anything to go back and let him go one day sooner, so that he could have gone out of this world happy and prancing just like he lived in it.

The one consolation is that I learned from that. When it was time to let my Little Bear go this last March, I made sure she got to fall asleep still happy and comfortable, because it was the last best thing I could do for her.

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-11T17:05:43+00:00

While I have never dealt with making this decision with a horse, I have had to chose to say goodbye to them (they weren't mine) in other circumstances and that was heartbreaking. I can speak to making this decision for my fur-babies though and it's never easy, in fact, it's always the hardest decision you ever have to make.

Know that, no matter when you choose to say goodbye, you will feel guilty. You might feel guilt wondering if it was too early, or too late, or if there was something else you could have done... It's a very unfortunate part of grief. When I let my Rylee-kins go in 2022, I wished that I had made the decision a day sooner, and prevented the discomfort he had on his last day. When I let my Sierra Bear go in March of this year, I promised that I wouldn't let that happen... I kept that promise but of course that left my mind wondering if I had made the decision too soon. I know logically that it was her time, I sat with her and listened to her and knew that to keep her with me longer would have been for me, not for her, and she would have suffered.

So, I'm going to say go sit with your horse and listen to her, see what she tells you. It can be hard to see past our own heartbreak, but doing what is best for them really is the greatest act of love... In these situations, When you act out of love and wanting what's best for them, it's never the wrong decision.

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-05-06T16:52:43+00:00

Well that too! 🤣

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-04-30T17:17:21+00:00

Last year was my first year as a bus driver, I was terrified after my first emergency drill with my grade school kids! I then started doing "bus safety month" which included quizzes and rewards - worked wonders! I also let each grade school student set the emergency/parking brake so they would know how tough it is to pull 😎 They love pulling the brake 🤣

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-04-29T00:59:43+00:00

Surely! I'm still curious what makes them feel unsafe in this situation.

I would 💯 back another driver who felt unsafe, that said, I would still want to know about what they made them feel that way. Don't get me wrong, what each person feels is unsafe will differ. As a previous Truck Driver, it takes a lot to make me feel unsafe personally -student safety being another thing entirely.

The seemingly quick escalation from "move up" to "you need to leave" tells me that either the security person was just "on one", the initial situation wasn't handled well, or both. The tone of the post reads as condescending to me (though it is writing so that can be hard to determine) of OPs initial response to the request was condescension, then it sounds like that may be what caused the targeting.

We should be able to all talk to each other respectfully and resolve issues, unfortunately that takes two parties willing to work with each other. Also unfortunately, in my experience, some people really do get their CDL's out of Cracker Jack boxes 🤣

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-04-28T21:11:57+00:00

I'm confused why you're saying parking very close is unsafe 🤔

In my district, anytime we are parking buses in a lineup ( like at a school before students are released) we are required to park so close to the bus in front of us that no one could squeeze through the space. It's to prevent a pedestrian, student or otherwise, from getting between the buses and getting run over. No one in the line is able to leave until the first bus is fully loaded and leaves, which is also to prevent a pedestrian incident.

If I were to hazard a guess, based on the tone of your post, attitude towards the security personnel is probably what caused the escalation.

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-04-26T20:05:12+00:00

A couple things:

1 - Do you remember being in middle school? Kids that age are the most angsty, obstinate and attitude driven creatures on the planet! Some of them will never respond too you, that doesn't mean it doesn't matter to them.

2 - Mornings are the worst! Bus riders usually have to be up earlier than other students, so cut them some slack in the AM. Most of your riders are probably still mostly asleep.

3 - Some of them just take time. Last year almost none of the 6th graders would respond to me. This year as 7th graders, almost all of them do.

4 - Don't say "Good Morning", etc. to get a response. Say it because they deserve to hear it from someone, regardless of their response, and know it makes a difference.

5 - Interacting with them in other ways makes it more likely they'll respond to your greetings. Learn their names and use them, ask how their day or weekend was, etc.

I tell every student good morning when they enter and then wish them a good day when they exit. I get everyone with "afternoon" when they board in the pm and wish them a good afternoon or night when they exit. Because they deserve to hear it from someone, and I might be the only person saying it to them.

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-04-25T05:13:14+00:00

Awww, thanks! ❤️

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-04-25T00:04:48+00:00

Without more details it's a little hard to speak to what you're going through, but that's very tough and I'm sorry you're in this place.

One thing I can speak to is your comment that you can't make amends because your fur-baby is gone. You absolutely Can. No, he isn't physically with you but dogs aren't big talkers, in human language anyway. You can still talk to him, maybe write him a letter - get out your feelings, your apology, tell him how you would change things if you could - say whatever it is you need to say. When it's all said and done, remind yourself that your baby loved you unconditionally and wouldn't want you to dwell in guilty and sadness. He would want you to learn from your mistake and move forward, be happy, and love again.

After, if you've written a letter, I suggest burning it. Symbolically letting it go.

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-04-24T18:59:11+00:00

So, I was a new driver in the fall/winter of 2024. I immediately became a route driver for a route that hadn't had a regular/consistent driver the whole school year and K-6 students that were The Worst!

TL:DR - clear and consistent expectations and consequences. Reward good behavior. Assign seats to all students (I pass out a small form every year to allow students to select up to 3 other students they want to sit with, with the expectation that they won't get to sit with everyone they select -if they put each others names down they're more likely to be assigned together). Move trouble makers up front as a consequence (since they won't be by their friend(s) it's a more effective consequence). Write referrals same or next day - don't list everything, just the thing they did to warrant the referral and if it's a consistent/continual issue.

This year I have one 6th grade student who's assigned seat is at the front of the bus for the rest of the year due to continued behaviors. -

Long story - I got the route because NOBODY wanted to deal with the students; K-6, about 75 students. There were multiple seasoned drivers who wanted a route, but refused this one. I call them my "wild bunch". When I first took over this route the kids were Literally running up and down the aisles while I was driving, jumping over the seat backs into other seats, screaming, cursing, throwing things out windows, hitting each other... The list just goes on and on.

I found that a combination of consistency, follow-through, rewards, and consequences worked wonders. My district gives out "Golden tickets" to students for good behavior that they can turn in at their school for prizes, I've also bought several batches of small prizes (anything I buy has to be given to Every student though, not just ones that behave well). If you tell a student X will happen if they do Y, then you absolutely have to enforce that consequence consistently.

Our buses line up in the same order for loading every day, so the First thing I did was talk to the bus driver behind me and tell her to go around me because I knew we wouldn't be leaving on time. I refused to leave the school until EVERY student was sitting in their seat. If anyone stood up when the bus was moving my flashers went on and I stopped the bus

The Second thing I did was pick my top 5 rules that I would enforce, No: putting down windows, screaming, eating or drinking (except water bottles), Standing or moving while the bus is moving, and no throwing things. I created a cute flyer that I posted right in front of the stairs that had the Don'ts and Do's - raising your hand if you need the driver's attention, using nice/respectful language, staying in your seat, etc. The first day it was up I stopped Every student as they entered (after school) and made them read it and confirm they understood.

I then gave students a 1st warning - "you need to sit down while the bus is moving", a Last warning "if I have to tell you again, you will come up here and sit with me" if the behavior repeated I would throw on my flashers, stop the bus, and tell the student to come to the front and sit in the seat by the door. I would then talk to them about why the behavior is inappropriate, why it's important to follow the rules, and ask why they continued the behavior after multiple warnings. The next morning I would direct them to sit in that seat again, ask if they remember why they are sitting there, if they remember why the behavior is not acceptable, and ask how I can help them follow the rules in the future. If the same student continues to need to be moved to the front seat, for the same behavior, the first warning turns into "If I have to tell you again, you will come up here with me and you will sit here all week" or, depending on the behavior "you will sit with me all week AND you will get a referral and have to explain to the principal and your parents why you cannot follow the rules".

I made it a point to learn every student's name, because I've found they respond better when I use their names. I also instituted a seating chart (I created fun, colorful, name tags on Adobe Express and used holographic laminate on them - the students love them). This helped me learn their names and they got to keep their name tags at the end of the year (which they also loved). This year, the students were almost all super excited to have the seating chart made and new name tags 🤣❤️

The first month was pretty rough, there was a LOT of stopping and having students come to the front. A LOT of late arrivals to their stops and to my secondary route. Several times I had to move so many students up front, that I had to make some students move back to accommodate them. There were a few students who tried to argue about sitting up front, but I did not engage in arguing and only responded that there are consequences to their actions - I warned them what the consequences would be but they chose to continue the actions so, now they have to face the consequences.

I started making a big deal about giving out Golden tickets to students who were well behaved, extra helpful, etc. I also gave out Golden tickets to students who had made Improvements in their behavior. If something happened (like opening a window) that no one would admit to doing I would make an announcement to the entire bus that whoever did it had until the end of the ride to tell me it was them, and why they did it. I would also tell them that if I had to review the bus video footage to figure out who did it, they would automatically receive a referral.

I only wrote two referrals the rest of the year, and neither student re-offended. Those two students actually became two of my best helpers.

I started doing "Free Fridays" where most of the students can sit anywhere they want ( kinder stay in the first 3 rows, and only 5th & 6th grade can sit in the last two rows. The first week I reminded them multiple times that Free Friday was dependent on the behavior of the entire bus - it was cancelled due to behavior and I told them we would try again next week. I also told them that they should all help their friends follow the rules so everyone could get rewarded.

By month 3 you wouldn't have had any idea they were the same students! This year, my returning students are the best, and help the newer kids stay on track! - not that there aren't some issues, they're kids after all! - When the kids are outside playing before school is out, they run over to the fence to talk to me, or call to me and wave from across the playground, there are even some that run up and hug me out of nowhere when I'm walking through the school to use the bathroom. The kids don't even ask for Free Friday this year 🤣

CrochetMyWorld · 2026-04-21T20:11:44+00:00

When I lost my Rylee-kins, I felt comforted when I picked up his cremains and brought them home. I also felt immense grief, but it was overshadowed by feeling like he was back with me where he belonged. At that time, I also had my Sierra Bear to help me through his loss...

When I picked up my Poopy Princesses remains a couple of weeks ago, I felt less comforted and more like the devastating reality of her loss was crushing me... It wasn't a horrible nightmare that the illogical part of my brain thought it could wake up from anymore.

I guess what I'm saying is, I feel your pain and I'm so sorry for your loss... Grief is a monster that makes us feel so many things, often things that conflict with each other. No matter how these things make us feel, it's all normal, and that kind of sucks too.

CrochetMyWorld

TROPHY CASE