43. Joe Casey, An Educator With Style

Winchester News-Gazette, March, 1977.
By Eric Rodenberg.



   He's a small man-you notice there's something of the leprechaun about him-as he stands in front of the room. While talking, he gesticulates wildly with one hand while smoothing down his already rumpled hair with the other.
  He is Joseph Raymond Casey-a study of flamboyance in the classroom. Casey has style. The type of style that most of the graduates of Winchester high school during the past 22 years don't easily forget. Casey describes himself as being an "old-fashioned, traditional teacher," but his air in the classroom is a far cry from the stereotyped schoolmaster. There's an atmosphere of expectation and interest in the room as Casey hammers home his points with an outstretched finger, poking into the air.
  "With the advent of TV, you've got to ham it up a bit," Casey admits. "You have to compete with that box to get the students interested in what you're talking about. You have to bring about a sense of novelty to the classroom-some change of pace or a surprise element-to keep the kids "awareness."
  But this year Mighty Casey will hang up his cleats and lay down his bat after this year. There will be no joy in Muddville, for Casey not only added some pizzazz to the game, he also served as an inspirational force for over a quarter century of students. Casey said he will be leaving WCHS with mixed emotions, but naturally a person can't walk away from a 29-year career without feeling he's leaving a piece of himself behind. He says, though, he plans to catch up on many of his other endeavors he never had time for while teaching. During the summer and fall mornings, he can probably be found out on the golf course. modestly admitting to being a "hacker," he hopes to improve his game.
  Casey received his Bachelors Degree from the University of Cincinnati, where he met his wife. Frances, who has worked as a librarian in the Winchester Community Library for the past 12 years. She recently submitted her resignation at the library.
  "We've lived in a world of books." Casey says. "I think it adds something to one's life. A person can live vicariously out of what they read in books. It can widen your total experience.
  Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Idaho where Joe took his first job in teaching. It was also in Idaho that he finished his Masters work and went ahead to start his Doctorate. "At that time I was debating whether to teach college or high school," he said. "I felt that in high school I would have more of a chance to motivate my students. I think now, that I made the right decision-but, of course it's difficult to choose the proper perspective to look back on your life."
 " I first came to Winchester in 1955, but it only seems like yesterday," he continued. "Time is so elusive-it's hard to frame time-to stop it like frames on a motion picture. Over the years, though, I don't think I've become cynical in teaching like many others have. A lot of people, especially the media, play up what's wrong with our country. Why can't we look at what's beautifully right? We're the only nation in the world that attempts to educate everyone that can possibly be educated. We're the only nation in the history of the world that tries to give everyone a chance. That's incredible-what can possibly be wrong with that?"
  During WW II, Casey saw battle in four combat operations in the Pacific. As an infantryman, he won the Bronze Star during the Okinawa campaign. He said that much of the death and desolation he saw during World War II has had an influence on his teaching over the past 29 years, as well as his private life.
  "What I saw over there gave some dimension to my teaching," he said. "The most important thing it did was make me aware there is only an instant breath between life and death. It makes you realize of how fleeting life really is."
  Casey recognizes the value and promise of life and tries to convey those ideas to his students. Even after teaching 29 years, Casey still displays a thirst for more knowledge and a sense of fascination with his environment.

  "It's incredible that I can utter a sound-maybe only a syllable and someone can instantly understand what I said. All it has to do is go over the airwaves and I'm understood," he said. "I occasionally tell my speech class a story. When I was in grad school at the University of Idaho in 1952, I worked with a young boy who had a cleft tongue. I worked six weeks during one summer to try to teach that unfortunate boy one sound-it didn't have to mean anything-just one particular sound. We didn't make it-the boy could only approximate it after I had worked with him. The poor boy did not live very long. He also had some brain damage, other complications, and died shortly afterwards.
  "But I tell these kids here-they are whole-they have talents. In essence they are blessed. A lot of these kids become so self-conscious. They're so introspective, but it's important for them to get outside of themselves and learn to give to others. They are blessed with a whole life. I try to encourage them to walk out of this room and learn to give their talents to others. They have to take the attitude they have something to offer somebody out in the world."
  Casey is a man who believes that a teacher has to experience what he teaches. Assigning themes to his students is easy enough, however, Casey also puts himself through the writing process. During the past few years he has written four or five novels and much of his poetry has appeared in national publications.
  "when I tell the students to write a theme I know they're going through a lot of suffering," he said. "It's often painful to write, but I think I should go through the process myself. It not only shows them that I've suffered too, but it also makes me realize what they're going through. A good teacher has to go through all the pain too. During my 29 years of teaching, I can look back and honestly say that I never walked into a class cold. Most of the time I've been over-prepared."
  "I think that's the greatest respect a teacher can pay a class," he continued. "The kids are expecting something from the class and I feel like I'd be letting them down by not being prepared. You have to be an idealist in this job. There has to be a bit of the Don Quixote to make you go out and slay the windmills in this field. You have to take the positive hope and put eternal hope in teaching. You've got to believe-that's half of the matter."
  Casey has good reason to believe in the job he's done for the past 29 years. He's not only helped a quarter century of students believe in themselves, he's also gained a lot of respect and admiration in the process. And that makes tilting against windmills all that more meaningful.