On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, our Restorative Justice Manager Enrique Garza delivered one of our special topic Restorative Justice Trainings on the need for stronger communication and relationship-building practices on the bus for Waverly school bus drivers. His presentation covered important topics in the field of Restorative Justice including Affective Statements for Drivers, De-escalation, Quick Restorative Conversations, and the Importance of Being Present.
Throughout the training, Garza heard from several drivers that they often struggle to keep kids in seats. Their most important concern being the safety of their passengers. They asked: how do you de-escalate a conflict when it’s dangerous if kids don’t respond?
Garza’s solution explores what may have led to that behavior, and what opportunities were available before they even set foot on the bus. The first step was to slow it down, go frame-by-frame, and understand what’s behind the most obvious details of the situation. How did we get here? Were the kids in a place where they felt safe? Is there a positive established relationship between drivers and students?
Garza learned that a lot of bus drivers’ problems came from not being able to communicate clear expectations that students would be open to receiving or understanding. Most of their exchanges began and ended with giving and receiving reprimands.
This generates uncertainty on various levels which ultimately fuels stress and disconnect. Both the kids and the drivers felt uncomfortable with the space and didn’t have a clear path to compassionate communication.
Garza suggested an alternative.
What if drivers started from the science behind emotions? The bus is a chaotic place with lots of transitions. It can be hard for kids to go from being at school with clear authority figures to having less structure on the bus. Kids might find it difficult to manage feelings and behaviors between lots of little changes throughout the day. Garza saw this as a clear opportunity to bridge understanding and empathy to empower both students and drivers.
Garza encouraged the drivers to think ahead, countering the tendency to wait till problems pop up to triage. That’s probably too late. By planning your responses to scenarios, you can build a more reflective framework that accounts for more details and prevents unnecessary harm.
Preventative, Directive, and Restorative Methods
Garza pointed out the need for preventative, directive, and restorative conversations between drivers and kids. In the preventative case, drivers are able to build connections with students outside of the bus to ensure they feel seen and heard when they board their daily drive home or to school. Some of the tools were anchored in helping students feel seen, such as setting up daily rituals such as saying good morning, and referring to students by their first names. This allows drivers to enforce good behavior and build rapport with their passengers through community and relationships.
Through directive methods, drivers can explain why it is important that students follow instructions. For example, “I need you to stay in your seat so we can arrive at our destinations safely.”
And finally, the restorative case, where problems can be resolved through deep-felt connections between students and their drivers. This can be done through more deliberate communication, and seeking to support one another through compassion and respect. The emphasis is placed on helping students feel like their mistakes are a learning experience, and drivers focus on education over defeat or punishment.
The overall goal is to build positive relationships that calmly encourage students even when conflicts arise. These methods build foundational communication frameworks for students and drivers, enabling them to grow in community with one another. Ultimately, drivers left the presentation with practical tools to better serve students and positively support their safety.
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