DUNCANVILLE — Johnny Campbell works as an independent contractor by trade, and a Duncanville ISD bus driver by passion.
Campbell knows how easy it can be to fall through the educational cracks. That's why he's turned his bus into a rolling classroom.
"I feel we have to catch the children when they're smaller," he said. "I just love their smiley faces!"
Campbell has equipped the students with a number of tools on the bus they can use to succeed in the classroom.
"For mathematics, they have the times table; we have the days of the week, the months. Each child — before they get off the bus — they know what day it is," Campbell said.
But the students aren't just learning facts and figures — they're learning how to be responsible citizens in an environment where they know they matter.
"If you call a child by his name or her name, she feels or he feels that he's wanted on the bus," Campbell explained. "I want them to know that their presence means something."
"The kids love it," said Duncanville ISD Director of Transportation Jim Humphreys. "If we ever — and it's very rare — that we have a substitute bus driver, but if we do they don't like it, because Mr. Campbell's not here."
Johnny Campbell doesn't just want to transport students to school; he wants to educate them as well — and the students notice.
The Duncanville ISD school board honored Campbell Monday night for quality teaching in a unique way, and for letting each child know they are valued and have much to contribute.
If you know someone we can feature in an upcoming Our Neighbor report,contact me at the e-mail address below.
E-mail cizzy@wfaa.com
