In a startling incident at a charter school in Brooklyn, a teacher named Laura Bennett was filmed reprimanding a first grader for incorrectly answering a math problem. The video, recorded in 2014 by a teaching assistant, surfaced recently, drawing public attention.
In the footage, students are seated in a circle, and Bennett instructs one child, “Count it again, making sure you’re counting accurately,” with evident frustration in her voice. As the student begins counting, she hesitates and looks up at Bennett, who then snatches the girl’s paper and tears it in half, shouting, “GO TO THE CALM DOWN CHAIR AND SIT! NOTHING INFURIATES ME MORE THAN WHEN YOU DON’T FOLLOW WHAT’S ON YOUR PAPER. SOMEONE COME UP AND SHOW ME HOW SHE SHOULD HAVE COUNTED. DO NOT RETURN TO YOUR SEAT AND SHOW ONE THING, THEN NOT DO IT HERE. YOU’RE CONFUSING EVERYONE!”
This outburst, clearly audible, highlights a concerning approach to teaching young children. Success Academy Charter School had previously faced scrutiny for maintaining a “got to go” list of students they intended to expel.
The video was secretly captured by an assistant teacher who recognized Bennett’s behavior as inappropriate and shared it with a media outlet after leaving the school in November. A spokesperson for Success Academy emphasized that teachers should never raise their voices, use sarcastic tones, or resort to shaming tactics. However, many question whether these guidelines are genuinely enforced.
A former educator noted that from third grade onward, children often faced public humiliation for perceived academic failures, a culture that some school leaders even encouraged. “It’s a mindset of ‘If you’ve made them cry, you’ve succeeded in getting your point across,’” she remarked.
While a group of parents defended Bennett, claiming her actions were an isolated incident in an otherwise supportive learning environment, the fact that an assistant was ready to record her behavior raises significant concerns. One parent stated, “They demand excellence, which is a good thing. They achieve excellence, something not seen in many other schools.”
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In summary, the video of Laura Bennett’s outburst at her first-grade students has sparked debate over teaching methods and the treatment of young learners, reflecting broader issues within educational environments.