Analyzing interpersonal dynamics

Analyzing interpersonal dynamics is a fancy name for trying to figure out how to reduce foolishness on a school bus. Some drivers permanently assign seats for their students and that’s where they are to sit every day. That seems a lot like permanent punitive measures, but what ever works. One way to analyze interpersonal dynamics is to move one or two students at a time on a daily basis and observe what effect this has on the general noise level on the bus. I did that today with a student who I suspected of lying to me last week regarding eating popcorn on the bus. So I had dual motivations since she is always in the middle of where the noise emanates. I thought it interesting that she didn’t even ask why I had her sit up front today. I’ll have to say, it did have a calming impact on the rest of the bus. An added benefit to assigning seats from time to time is that it serves as a reminder of who is in charge of the bus, and who is not.