Tears? What Tears?

70 elementary schoolers on my bus last week! Does that seem crazy, or even dangerous to anyone? It's certainly chaotic...and distracting to the driver.

Today, amid the din and craziness I could see a first grader, 8 rows back, looking at me, crying in a way that really tugged at my heart and calling (what else) "buuuus driverrrrr, buus driiiverr". Frustrated because I couldn't hear him, I grabbed my trusty intercom and yelled to a 4th grader, "Samantha, tell me what is happening with those boys in the seat in front of you!"

"Ahmed hit James and James is crying".

"Ahmed! I want you sitting in your seat, I want your face looking straight ahead and I want your hands on your lap, now!". Remember how much I loved the little ones in my first week?

As soon as I yelled at Ahmed, the little heart-tugging boy morphed back into a happy 1st grader.