HamiltonCool Tools

Behavioral Lesson Plan

Universal Expectation: Respect Everyone, RespectEducation, Respect the Environment

Name of the Skill/Setting:Making the Bus a Better Place

Purpose of the lesson/Why it’s important: Many of our students have identified the bus as a place in which harassment and bullying sometimes occur. Since the bus is part of our community and we want all students to feel safe at all times, it is important to understand the importance of our three school-wide expectations and how they apply to Madison Metro. Student representatives helped identify and role play a few bullying situations that currently occur on some of the buses and they want students to be a part of the solution.
Kid Activities/Role-Plays:
  • Review Bus Matrix.
  • Show video of bus episodes.
  • See attached sheet for discussion prompts.

Follow-Up Reinforcement Activities:
  • Metro drivers will email, call or tell school personnel when they feel the students have demonstrated the 3 REs. There will be a bus displayed in cafeteria area with ten open windows. Every time Hamiltonstaff receive a positive compliment about their students from a Metro driver, a window will be filled in. After ten compliments, there will be a school-wide acknowledgment.

Making the Bus a Better Place Cool Tool

Pre-video suggestions:

  • Before the playing of the four bus situations, put up and read aloud the“Signs that you bully” overhead. Ask students to think about if they’ve done any of these things before.

Afterwards, explain that these can cause people a lot of pain and can affect not only their happiness, but also their ability to do well in school.

Let kids know that student representatives came up with a few bullying situations that currently occur on some of Hamilton’s buses. Their goal? They want you to be a part of the solution, not the problem…

  • Pass out Hamilton’s bus matrix to each student and have them circle the matrix behavior(s) that apply to each episode as they watch.
  • In advance, the facilitator should read through the two resource sheets that will be given to students at end (What should I do if I’m bullied, and What students can do to lend a hand) incorporating ideas into discussion when possible.

Bus Episodes/ Video

1- Student walks onto the bus looking for an open seat, but students keep turning her down- even students with backpacks on the seat next to them.

Discussion points for homeroom teachers/ students:

  • Identify the bully, victim and bystanders in this episode.
  • How should you deal with this bullying if you’re the…
  • Victim
  • A bystander
  • Which of our 3 REs on the bus apply?
  • One person per seat (first come- first served, backpacks should NOT occupy seats)
  • Cooperate with each other

2- Students are getting on the bus pushing and shoving. (No one greets the bus driver or wipes the snow off their feet.) One student in particular seems to be a target of the pushing, and a couple of students that are already seated laugh at him and say, “He’s so gay!” The student replies, “No, I’m not!” Two more students put their feet out in the aisle and won’t let him pass, tripping him while bystanders laugh.

Discussion points for homeroom teachers/ students:

  • Identify the bully, victim and bystanders in this episode.
  • How should you deal with this bullying if you’re the…
  • Victim(Remind students where your harassment forms are and review the process of filling one out and turning it in so that they can be helped)
  • A bystander
  • Which of our 3 REs on the bus apply?
  • Wipe snow/ mud off your feet before getting on the bus
  • Greet and thank the bus driver
  • Have ticket or fare ready
  • Walk and keep moving until you’ve found a seat(over)
  • Keep body to self
  • Use appropriate language and volume
  • Cooperate with each other and bus driver

3- Students are seated on the bus but are throwing papers/ wrappers at each other. Bus driver asks a student to stop, and the student denies it and points to someone else to blame. The throwing then continues.

Discussion points for homeroom teachers/ students:

  • Identify the bully, victim and bystanders in this episode.
  • How should you deal with this bullying if you’re the…
  • Victim
  • A bystander
  • Which of our 3 REs on the bus apply?
  • Follow all procedures
  • Listen to the bus driver (driver needs to concentrate on driving the bus)
  • Respect public property and space
  • Use trash; recycle (clean up after yourselves)
  • Represent Hamilton with pride

4- A student takes an ipod or cell phone from another student and taunts him/her. The student attempts to get it back and then a fight begins.

Discussion points for homeroom teachers/ students:

  • Identify the bully, victim and bystanders in this episode.
  • How should you deal with this bullying if you’re the…
  • Victim
  • A bystander
  • Which of our 3 REs on the bus apply?
  • Stay seated
  • Cooperate with each other
  • Respect personal property and space
  • Theft has potentially serious consequences… In this situation the item was returned but when you take someone else’s property, it could be considered a crime/ armed robbery (depending on how it’s taken).

Post video: Ask students for the difference between tattling and reporting. Tattling is when you’re trying to get someone in trouble. Reporting is when you’re trying to help someone in trouble; that includes helping yourself when you’re in trouble. Just as bullying and harassment are not tolerated in our school building, they are not allowed on the bus. All students have the right to feel safe, so be a part of the solution and stop bullying and harassment on the bus. The behaviors on the matrix are what we want to see!

Pass out 2 resource sheets to students(What should I do if I’m bullied, and What students can do to lend a hand).Review any points that didn’t come up in the video discussion.

Also, remind students to be looking at the bus on the cafeteria wall, which will show the number of calls we get from bus drivers when we’ve had a good bus day. (10 positive calls= incentive/ Mr. Schmelz shaving half his mustache and beard.)