#workwithkids

We see them every day. They’re big, yellow and have flashing red lights. I am talking about the School Bus. Have you ever considered what it takes to become a School Bus Driver? This blog will introduce you to what it takes to be a School Bus Driver, but first I will tell you a little bit about why this job is of interest to me.

About 20 years ago, when my children were still babies, I was a stay at home mom that wanted to find a job that would allow me to take care of my children while earning an income. A friend told me that I should investigate becoming a School Bus Driver because, in the Province of Ontario, School Bus companies allow you to take your children to work with you. That was appealing to me. I applied and was hired. I drove a School Bus for about 6 years while my children were growing up. If you are a mom or dad, that want to be a stay at home parent, and are interested in earning an income while taking care of your family, School Bus Driving may be something worth investigating. I hope this Tumblr post will give you enough information on what it takes to be a School Bus Driver to help you make that decision.

Are you friendly? Consider yourself a leader? Do you like children? Do you have an interest in working with children? If you answered yes to these questions, you may have the right personality to drive a School Bus. Personality is just as important to driving a School Bus as all the training you will be required to take. The children you drive, every day, become an extended part of your community. You can have a positive influence on the children you drive just by being friendly and show that you have an interest in how their lives are going as you great them every day.

If you think you have the personality for the job, the next step is to apply to your local School Bus company. The School Bus company will have you complete a personality test, a medical, a Vulnerable Sector Screening Report and an RCMP, police check. If you are cleared, then they will start training you. Training will last for approximately 3 weeks. There will be in class work, homework, engine checks, pre-trip inspections, child checks, a few ride alongs and of course, road work. 

For the in-class portion of the training, you will be required to watch many videos on safety, student management and crisis management. You will be tested on the information learned each day. For home work you will have to cover the company policy manual and study for your written test. You will be taught how to perform a daily engine check, pre-trip inspection and child checks. You will be expected to explain every procedure as you do it. This will be a very important part of the job once you are driving students. You will be mentored by another, experienced bus driver that will take you on a ride along so that you can see how he or she handles the students on their route.

For the road work, you will be put in the driver’s seat of a 40 ft. bus in a designated parking lot. Your instructor will make sure you are aware of clearance heights and widths, off-tracking, tail-swing and how maneuvers differ from the right to left. Your instructor will use pylons and get you to practice maneuvers through them. You will go forward and backwards through them until you are comfortable with how your bus maneuvers. You will practice loading and unloading procedures and what to do at railway crossings. All the safety lessons you are learning, in class, will now be applied to your driving. Once you are comfortable enough behind the wheel, you are ready to hit the road to practice.

Once you have developed enough skill to drive a School Bus, you will write your written test and be taking on a road test. Congratulations! You passed! Now you are ready for a route of your own. Becoming a School Bus Driver could be the best job for you.                                                                                          

For your reference, please follow the Ministry of Transportation’s guidelines for getting a bus driver’s license. http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/driver/bus-driver-licence.shtml