A BC teacher has been issued a formal reprimand for yelling at her students.

According to a May 25, BC Commissioner for Teacher Regulation decision, elementary school teacher Jaya Beth Van Praagh was observed using “inappropriate class management strategies” which included physical contact and raising her voice.

“Van Praagh failed to create an emotionally safe learning environment for her students,” the BC Commissioner for Teacher Regulation said in the decision.

The decision says Van Praagh was teaching grades six and seven when, during the 2024/2025 school year, a couple of incidents arose.

“While her class was outside participating in an Earth Week event, Van Praagh witnessed one of her students and another student with a scooter they should not be using,” the decision says. “Van Praagh addressed (the) student in close range and in a tone and at a volume that was louder than appropriate. (The) student felt singled out in front of their peers.”

The teaching regulator says on at least one other occasion, the Delta-based teacher used physical contact and raised her voice to control student behaviour.

Shortly afterwards, the school district issued the teacher a letter of discipline, for “yelling at students, entering students’ personal space, and making physical contact with students.”

The decision says previous concerns had been raised with her a year earlier, issuing her a “letter of direction” and telling her to take an anger management course.

She was told to treat students with dignity and respect by not singling out or yelling at students, and to be respectful in her tone. She was also told to respect students’ physical space and to create an inclusive classroom environment.

The school district passed the file to the regulator, and Van Praagh signed a consent agreement admitting to her behaviour.

The BC Commissioner issued a public reprimand and ordered the teacher to take the Creating a Positive Learning Environment Course.