Teacher of the Month
Anthony Perez
September 19th, 2023
Teacher of the Month highlights a teacher on this lovely campus. They teach you valuable lessons such as learning how to write, speak stronger, and better grammar. Teachers are more than just people who teach because they go above and beyond for their students. For example, they spend extra time outside of their working hours so that their students can feel supported. Some teachers will go to sports games or go to theatre productions and non-school-related events and they understand that students have other things going on in their lives like work or taking care of their siblings. The teacher that is highlighted this month is Carina Casissa a first-year teacher who teaches 9th-grade English and Journalism.
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Casissa was born and raised in the Bay Area. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Italian Studies at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and then received a master's in Education at Alder last year. Casissa graduated during Covid- 19 and they said, I didn’t know what I was doing due to the pandemic. I had a friend working for a company called Reading Partners where she was working at an elementary school helping students increase their literacy skills.” Casissa joined and found herself working with K-4th grade students and it was not at all what she expected. “I thought that I would go in, and teach, and students would understand what was happening. And that’s definitely not what happened. I had to work with a 4th grade who didn’t enjoy reading, a kindergartener who just wanted to play tag, and a wide variety of students and it made me realize that there is more to teaching than that. It’s working with a variety of students and individualizing learning so that every student can be successful in school.” That was one of the reasons why Casissa got into teaching.
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Another reason why she became a teacher was because she was never a strong student in math. She stated this by saying “In high school, I had a geometry teacher who told me that I would never amount to anything in math which really impacted how I interacted with that subject going into the future.” That math teacher didn’t make her feel supported at all while she was in school and that's why they became a teacher. “I always want to be a support for my students even when they find the subject material challenging or confusing. School is a safe place to grow and learn and not a place for teachers who don’t believe in their students,” they said. What Cassia said was relatable to students because there are people who don’t understand a subject and want to give up on that subject.
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This is her first time teaching at Seaside High School and she loves the community and hospitality. The kids and staff are so caring and warm to her. They like that the kids come to her room at to talk to her or hang out with them. “I really like the community on this campus. The students and staff are so warm and welcoming and anywhere I walk someone - student or staff will greet me or have a conversation which is amazing!” she stated.
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Casissa in her free time takes a hike in the wilderness.
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In Casissa’s free time, she loves to go on hikes and read books. One of her favorite places to go on hikes is in national parks because of the beauty and also because her dad has a senior pass (free pass). Her favorite national park is Zions National Park. Her goal for this year is to read 100 books before the year ends. They are at 68 books.
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Casissa on a hike with her friends and family
Casissa is a fantastic teacher and she slayed this interview. She is a fantastic teacher who is admired by staff and students.
