Mirian Canfield combines high expectations with a lot of love, to help students succeed
Twenty-six years into her career, Mirian Canfield, White Pine Elementary School’s 2022-23 Teacher of the Year, has seen a lot of changes in education and learns new things each year. Regardless of what has changed, however, she has realized that one thing is constant — combining high expectations with a lot of love is key to helping her students succeed.
“I’ve learned that you must love your students and they have to know of your love. If they know that you care and are invested in them, they will want to learn and perform better,” Canfield explained. “I want them to know without question that they are loved. And, once you build that, you can generate respect from there, and then the learning can happen.”
Canfield runs her classroom with high expectations and freedom of choice. At the beginning of the year, Canfield sets expectations for student behavior and a healthy learning environment. She explains that students always have choices. But, each choice has consequences, positive or negative. She holds students accountable for their choices. She believes that most students will become invested in their education as they make more positive choices that help them grow and learn.
Currently a fourth-grade teacher, Canfield has worn many hats throughout her career. She has taught first and second grade, and has been a P.E. specialist, an art specialist, a music specialist, and a librarian. In 2019, she completed her Master's degree in Mathematics. She also has helped with the REACH program for the past few years and was an integral part of sustaining the program when the school switched buildings. She explained, “I knew how important the program was for my students to get that extra help. So I said I can take this on, and pretty soon, I was running both the morning and afternoon programs.”
In whatever role she has been in, Canfield focuses on connecting with her students and helping them through the hard times by creating an environment that allows them to talk and open up. For example, she will have “pow wows” with students, when she talks with them and asks about what’s going on in their lives, reassuring them that she is there for them.
She also shares her own personal experiences with students to help them laugh and know that she understands what it’s like to work through hard things. “I open up discussions to have students share experiences about their lives, and I talk a lot about mine. I want students to be aware of their surroundings, of nature, and to really love living in this world,” Canfield explained. “I was raised on a farm, and I have lots of crazy stories to tell them. I want them to be curious, adventurous, and aware.
Her peers admire Canfield's love and dedication to her students and the school. “Mirian Canfield cares deeply about each of her students,” expressed White Pine Principal Derek Beer. “She also cares deeply about the other staff members. She is a great mentor and continually supports her team and others in the building.”