By: Brenda Wilkerson
Since the very beginning of the school year, there was a particularly large and angry fifth grader who didn’t think my bus rules applied to him and bullied kids often. When I had my fill of this behavior, I wrote him up. I expressed my concern to the administration about his behavior towards me and the rest of the kids. Both the principal and vice principal took this report very seriously and had a ‘Come-to-Jesus’ talk with this young man. He was then assigned the very front seat of the bus until further notice.
His behavior and demeanor have made a marked improvement in the last two weeks, which granted him a pass to sit with a friend each Friday moving forward, as long as there were no more incidents and improvement continues. Last Friday was his first time to sit with his friends since he got in trouble, and before the route was over, he was asking me to come sit up front again. This morning, after picking up the last student, I grabbed my mic and began to talk to the kids about the possible jobs of the juniors and seniors on my bus (4 and 5th graders).
I opened the floor to discuss what jobs we needed and who would be a good fit. Jobs presented were typical things like the nurse, the babysitter for the pre-K, the garbage taker outer, the magnet mayor who puts any fallen magnets from the floor back on the walls of the pre-k seats, the pop toppers – the ones who pop open the bus top hatches for ventilation after the morning route, the body checker (makes sure no one is asleep or left behind), the bus secretaries who help limit my distractions and answer endless questions and requests when hands get raised, etc.
But there was yet another suggestion. The chaplain. The prayer warrior. The one who would start our day with a few requests and heartfelt gratitude. There were several suggestions of what to pray for like, safe travels, our families, our teachers, a clear head for focus, expressing gratitude that the Lord woke us up this morning, etc. But when I asked who wanted that prayer position, there was a long silent pause. Then, I saw it. My little angry man on the front seat slowly lifted his head as his dreads parted to reveal his once angry eyes staring back at me in the large rearview mirror. He raised his hand just high enough to be noticed and gave me a solid nod. My face didn’t flinch, and I met his nod with mine. My heart skipped a beat as I watched and felt the transformation of this precious soul evolve in real time. When I asked if he would like to start his job today, his face lit up and he nodded ‘yes’. Since he was on the front row, the spiraled microphone cord could easily reach him. Y’all. He took that mic in his hands and said the sweetest sincere prayer I’ve heard in a long time. “Heavenly Father,” he began. The kids were quiet as church mice with their heads bowed in respect. When he concluded with an “Amen,” the entire belly of the bus responded with a hearty, “Amen!” All of my riders inside Ol’ Yeller began to clap and cheer. As my preacher dad used to say, “If that don’t light your fire, your wood’s wet!”
May your day be full of patience, second chances, kindness, and gratitude. I know my day was already full of these things by 7:05!
By: Brenda Wilkerson
April 18, 2025
