 |
|
|
|
Expanding PerspectivesThat defining moment opened
Casella’s eyes to the multifaceted views and knotty intricacies that
form perception. An assistant professor of teacher education at CCSU for
the past four years, Casella shuns oversimplification as he leads
discussions of violence. “In retrospect, at first I attributed the Cali
students’ fears to an unfortunate stereotype of people from the United
States,” reflects Casella. “But later, as I did research on youth and
school violence, I came to believe that they may have been right to
assume the worst. After all, even U.S.-generated statistics prove our
country to be among the most violent in the developed world.” One of
Casella’s teaching goals for his CCSU students, then, is not only to
shatter stereotypes but also to expand perspectives. Eliciting views from students
based on their past experiences, Casella helps them see how frames of
reference shape individual perspectives on the world. “The joy of
teaching for me is to see all the frames of reference,” he exclaims,
relishing the “fireworks” the process engenders. When, for example, he
asks a class, “What’s at the core of urban school failure?” a
student replies, “It’s the students and parents who do not work hard
enough. If they only got their act together we’d get better urban
schools.” “Not so,” rebuts a veteran teacher who cites corruption, poor
administration, and scarce resources as contributors to poor education.
Casella stresses he “validates” opinions expressed by students while
still challenging them to air diverse dimensions of an issue. “It takes
a lot of reading, sparring, reflecting, and questioning each others’
positions, for us to develop a better understanding that urban school
failure is systemic,” he concludes. Just as he did in his first
book, “Being Down”: Challenging Violence in Urban Schools (New
York: Teachers College Press, 2001) Casella argues in class that “We
cannot absolve society by blaming violence in schools on teachers,
students, administrators, or even families. Such violence is also caused
by social phenomena like stark inequality and lack of economic and
political access.” The book, researched when Casella was at Syracuse
University, where he earned the Ph.D. in sociology and anthropology of
education, is based on interviews with students, parents, police
officers, and gang members to provide a ground-level documentary of
urban violence. It was praised for providing “solid and practical advice
on what can be done to make schools safer.” Reluctant to assume the “guru”
role, Casella, nevertheless inspired Nancy Gooding, a graduate student
in the Sociological Foundations of Education course, to say, “I’m amazed
how he brought together a number of us from different backgrounds—many
were already teachers of art, music, kindergarten, ESL, math, or
science—and taught us to be guides in dispensing information to our
students so they will be passionate about learning and become
independent learners themselves.” An ESL teacher in the Vernon Adult
Education Department, Gooding believes, “Dr. Casella is one of CCSU’s
greatest assets.” A Generous TeacherCasella describes the foundation
of his teaching approach: “I am determined that students have a strong
basis in history, sociology, and philosophy to shape their teaching
methods.” And he is a generous teacher, according to Barbara Budaj, a
graduate student in secondary education and math teacher at Newington
High School. “I found it remarkable how much of his qualitative research
he shared through fascinating anecdotes.” Students agree that Casella
infuses his teaching with a sense of engagement and stewardship. Little Tolerance for “Zero Tolerance”Based on his painstaking
research, Casella is critical of zero tolerance policies and practices
in both schools and prisons. He realizes that his book, At Zero
Tolerance: Punishment, Prevention, and School Violence, (New York:
Peter Lang Publishing, 2001) is disquieting to many public schools that,
in the wake of the 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act passed by Congress after a
series of fatal shootings at schools, clamped down on youths. But
Casella’s stand is clear: “I’d like to do away with the exclusionary
policies of zero tolerance that do more harm than good. Kids can benefit
from counseling, mentoring, peer mediation, restorative justice. The
worst we can do is expel them.” Having presented his position before
numerous educational associations, he has been invited to speak next
spring at a Harvard University conference. Hard Questions and Thoughtful Responses“My students appreciate that I
take strong stands,” Casella chuckles, “But I’m always open to new ideas
especially if a student can make a solid case.” As Teacher Education
Chair Dr. Nancy Hoffman elaborates, “He creates a class atmosphere in
which he asks hard questions, but I know his students don’t feel
intimidated or diminished. Students can’t fluff him off. He won’t accept
smiles and nods, won’t take easy answers. He wants thoughtful responses
and for all of his low-key style, he’s mighty persistent.” — Geri Radacsi |
Violence, and the multiplicity
of perspectives on the subject, claimed Ronnie Casella’s attention
during his first teaching experience at a high school in Cali, Colombia.
Friends and family had expressed concern when he departed the U.S. in
the early ’90s, warning, “You’re going to such a violent country.”
Imagine his bafflement when the school’s director expressed
satisfaction, but also relief, that his students “were no longer scared”
by the soft-spoken Dr. Casella. She explained, “When they heard you were
from New York City, they thought the usual—that you would be mean,
because everybody from New York has a gun, even the teacher.”