Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 9, 1991 TAG: 9103090130
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NEAL THOMPSON EDUCATION WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: A) Sings opera. B) Sky dives. C) Holds up convenience stores. D) Not much else.
The correct answer, class, is "D."
That's because when the 55-year-old retired Air Force lieutenant colonel isn't in class, he's either reading, studying, practicing or thinking about some new computer program, teaching technique or class lesson.
"Teaching absorbs your life. That's what I really wasn't prepared for," he said.
Cannaday began teaching at the Governor's School five years ago after retiring from the Air Force.
In five years, he's made a name for himself as an innovative teacher who helps students learn for themselves, usually by putting them in small groups to solve problems together.
Now he has made a name for himself with his peers across the state.
Cannaday was voted Mathematics Teacher of the Year last week by the Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
What's so special about him?
"You learn a lot on your own," said Margaret Bourdeaux, 16. "He'll help you out if you need help, but he also expects you to do it on your own."
Meredith Brewer, 15, thinks his personality makes a big difference in his class.
"He's just a friendly person," she said. "You kind of looked forward to going."
Why does Cannaday think he is special?
He modestly avoids the question. "All teachers are special. They've got to be or they wouldn't be able to do this," he said.
But Principal Richard Shelly, who hired Cannaday, picks up the slack to brag for him.
"This is the guy you wish you'd had for math in high school," he said. "If necessary, I've seen him in here at 10 o'clock at night with kids. He just keeps plugging."
Cannaday lives in Salem in the house he grew up in. He attended Salem schools and began teaching high school as a way to repay the teachers who contributed to his success.
The Virginia Tech mechanical engineering grad also taught while in the Air Force, which he also thanks for his success in classes now.
"Having served in the Air Force for 27 years and having flown 5,000 hours, I have a wealth of things that I can talk about that I can relate to math and physics," he said.
In a dense math class that includes algebra 2, trigonometry and statistics, Cannaday also incorporates physics, engineering and computers. He also teaches a special elective in aerodynamics.
Shelly said it's one of the most popular classes at the school.
The "cooperative learning" in groups makes the biggest difference in his classes, Cannaday said. "It keeps them motivated. It keeps them into it."
And he plans to keep on doing what he's doing, "for as long as they'll keep me."
by CNB