Ann Canniff:
Teacher of the Month
News 12 spent the better
part of the afternoon February 3rd
at East Hampton Middle School, filming seventh-grade English teacher Ann Canniff. They
spoke to principal Gail Parker, Canniff’s colleagues, and her students in order to
compile a 45-second segment to air this month. Why? Because Canniff is Hofstra
University’s Teacher of the Month for March.
The accomplishment was no easy feat. Canniff was first nominated by Parker, who wrote a letter of recommendation. Also writing such a letter was department chair Catherine Gagliotti and then Canniff presented her resume and credentials to the selection committee, which was comprised of representatives of Hofstra, News 12, and several school superintendents.
Heading the search was Dr. James Johnson, Dean of the School of Education at Hofstra University.
"I had to write a small piece describing the most rewarding experience in my career," she said. Canniff chose to write about one of her students, Marty Zimmerman, a seventh-grader who won an award in The East Hampton Independent’s Short and Scary Story Contest, an annual October competition where 13 overall winners are chosen from hundreds of submissions from schoolchildren all over the East End.
She explained that Marty brought her trophy into school and "she looked up at me and pulled out the trophy and was so excited," the teacher said, adding that there is the feeling of achievement when you see a student excel, that moment of recognition when a student realizes she can do it. "You can look in their eyes and know they feel that way," Canniff said.
Her 45 seconds of fame, airing this month, was shot on February 3 when News 12 taped her for three hours at the Middle School. The segment was filmed by a Hofstra student who had also interned with "Saturday Night Live."
Canniff was very impressed with Dr. Johnson, who also came to East Hampton that day to present the award. He spent two class periods observing and "was very nice to my students," asking about projects and research they were involved in. She said, "I was very impressed with him because he really engaged my students."
He also spoke with her fellow teachers and principal, Gail Parker. The afternoon culminated with a 3 p.m. reception.
Canniff has been teaching at the Middle School for four years now, in addition to three years at the High School. Before coming to East Hampton, she worked in six different districts over the years, two of which are on Long Island.