FEATURE: PIKE PERSPECTIVES
ED SANTELLA
From CSI to STEM, Santella All About the Hands-on Approach
WHEN RECENT ALUMNI RETURN TO PIKE’S CAMPUS AND SEE FIFTH-GRADE TEACHER ED SANTELLA, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THEIR FIRST QUESTION TO HIM IS, “WHO REALLY DID IT?”
Each year as part of his forensics unit, Santella introduces his students to the crime scene investigation surrounding the mysterious demise of fictional character, Felix Navidad. Students are required to inspect the crime scene, which is set up in Santella’s classroom, collect evidence such as fingerprints, DNA samples and pH levels, and conduct tests throughout the unit. They learn about developing their stories from a retired forensic scientist from the Massachusetts State Police and conclude the lesson with presentations as “expert witnesses” on the stand in which they are encouraged to be creative while supporting their proof and methodical processes. So, who really did it? “I never tell them,” Santella says with a smile. “They will haunt me about it, but I’ll never tell. It plays into the idea that there isn’t necessarily one right answer; it’s about building your case.” Over the 13 years in which Santella has called Pike home, he’s had the opportunity to share his teaching approach, which he says blends passion, an appreciation for the unknown and “a tolerance of a certain level of chaos – which is needed in a hands-on classroom.” In fact, it was that freedom to explore as a teacher and learner that brought him to Pike in the first place. “I felt it walking through the hallways, it was full of excitement,” he said. “The child is the center of everything here; it is about building children into what they can be. I could tell right away Pike School had its priorities in order. “I love that I am part of a community that shares my values of curiosity and wonder,” he added. “If something could be done better, we are encouraged to find ways to do that.”
THE PIKE SCHOOL SPRING 2014 THE QUILL
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