Mrs. Canonaco has been teaching for fifteen years. She has a passion for math, especially Calculus, because she enjoys how all of the math concepts tie together. Continue reading to learn more about her experience and how she got to where she is today.

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A MATH TEACHER?

A: So actually this is interesting because this is my second degree. I was a mechanical engineer and I wasn’t inspired by my job. I thought about the people who had left the biggest impression on me in my lifetime, and they were teachers. I thought, you know what, I want to do that for other students, so I went back and got a masters degree in math education and that’s how I ultimately ended up becoming a teacher.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR TEACHING PHILOSOPHY?

A: Getting students to become independent and resourceful would be my primary goal. When I say resourceful I mean not just giving up when they don’t get a problem right away, but instead, using their notes and textbooks, because those are skills you’re going to need when you go into college.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES YOU’VE ENCOUNTERED AS A TEACHER AND HOW DID YOU COMBAT THEM?

A: One of the biggest things this year is that students were very reliant on their notes and the internet when taking tests and quizzes, and so they didn’t learn everything they needed. Especially in math, everything builds on, and not having a solid foundation has been a bit of a struggle. Students who really are struggling I offer extra help to, and we try to review basic skills more often through do-nows. In general, when I first began teaching, the hardest thing was classroom management. You have to learn how to keep students focused and on task but still have fun, and that was difficult for me at the beginning, to figure out that balance of having fun but staying focused and continue learning.

Q: HOW DID YOU ADAPT TO VIRTUAL LEARNING LAST YEAR?

A: It was definitely a learning process for students, but it was just as much a learning process for teachers. You begin to see what works and doesn’t work and make adjustments. One of the things I realized early on is that the students were missing that interaction with other peers. That’s why I tried to have my students involved in group work at least once a week because I know how important it is.

Q: AS YOU SEE STUDENTS GO THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, WHAT IS THE MAIN THING YOU HOPE YOUR CLASS HAS TAUGHT THEM THAT WILL STICK WITH THEM PAST GRADUATION?

A: That the results are dependent on the effort they put in. There are some students to whom math doesn’t come very easily, but they work hard and see great results. But the students that math comes easily, they work hard and don’t always see the results they want. Your results are directly proportional to the results you put in. My advice to seniors is to find something you love, because you have to get up and do it every morning, so if you can find something you can really enjoy, it will be so much more rewarding.

Despite the teaching challenges these past few years due to the pandemic, teachers like Mrs. Canonaco continuously incorporate passion and enthusiasm into their lessons, which is inspiring to many students.