St Raymond Elementary School

Teachers yell and scream at kids. As a parent, and educator, who had a child at this school and has seen how teachers do their work remotely, I am appalled at their behavior. Screaming at the kids for not understanding something is not acceptable. Yelling at the kids for not being capable of tracing or drawing something perfectly is not acceptable, especially when their hand muscles are still developing. Berating a kid when he/she froze while answering a question is unacceptable and just shows what type of hostile environment is fostered at this school when kids even freeze. Yelling and putting down children because they’re taking time while completing a task that is time consuming is not only unacceptable, but abusive. Yelling at a little child because he/she was distracted in a class where all they do is fill out worksheets, listen to muffled videos, and answer more worksheets is not acceptable. Yelling at a child that is still learning how to write their name because it’s taking him/her too long is appalling. As a parent, you want your child to be in a safe environment an environment that is welcoming, nurturing, and fosters respect. This was not the case I encountered while my child received remote instruction at St. Raymond’s. What is more appalling and worrisome is that this happened in front of other parents and caregivers. What happens inside the school when parents are not there? This type of behavior from the teacher and assistant teacher also happens in other classrooms. I have heard another teacher from a nearby classroom yelling at her little kids as well. There is absolutely NO reason why an “educator” needs to yell, berate, or scream at any student, let alone little ones constantly. This was an everyday occurrence. The teacher and teacher assistant always seemed peeved and annoyed. They didn’t seem to enjoy their work at all. Imagine being a small child spending 7-8 hours of your day in a hostile environment where you do not know if you are going to get yelled at for some arbitrary reason. In the midst of this terrible pandemic, I was somewhat thankful that my child was receiving remote instruction so that I, as well as other people in my family and my child’s caretaker, could see what goes on at this school. Unfortunately, the best the school administration can do is just change your child to another classroom. This is very telling. Also, the teacher in my child’s classroom did not provide differentiation of instruction or offered other ways to explain the material. If the children did not get it, she would become exasperated and berated them. This is not teaching. It does not matter how many years these teachers have been working as educators, if you can’t foster a respectful, welcoming environment if you can’t differentiate instruction if you can’t explain new material in different ways so that everyone understands if you are mot capable of providing an engaging class if you “wing things” as the teacher has said herself during instruction if all you do is fill out worksheet after worksheet, play videos that do the teaching for you if you can’t be professional with parents if you can’t regulate yourself as an adult in a classroom with little ones, then you are NOT a teacher and should not be in a classroom dealing with little ones. You are merely an actor regurgitating material and doing the bare minimum. In other words, you are a body collecting a check. As an educator, this type of teacher is an embarrassment to the profession. Fortunately for the school and the teacher, we can’t record them. Thus, they have full control rendering the parents and the children powerless since teachers like this do not fave any consequences or repercussions. I am thankful I was able to find another school for my child. One piece of advice for those who are thinking about enrolling their children here: read the reviews from the children. They are not lying. I have seen the behavior and it is not a one-time occurrence, it happens everyday in two early childhood classrooms. In terms of instruction, their teaching practices are outdated children learn by rote and by being lectured (there is nothing experiential or hands-on) there is no modeling, hence kids can get confused or might not understand the material there is no curriculum that includes problem solving skills or critical thinking skills there is no science instruction the teachers sometimes just “wing it”, if I pay for an education, I want a capable, committed, and responsable educator who does not wing it. The expectations were high when I first enrolled my child here. However, the school administration and the teachers failed my child and continue failing the kids by providing them a terrible and abusive environment.