An International Baccalaureate biology teacher at Schenectady High School has been named 2012 Schenectady City School District Teacher of the Year.

Annie Chien was surprised Thursday morning with news of the award in her classroom. She was nominated by co-worker Agnes Phillips, according to a statement released by Schenectady City School District.

"Annie Chien epitomizes the IB teacher," said Phillips, in the nomination letter. "She challenges her students to think, to produce and critique, not just reproduce knowledge."

Chien was up against 16 other nominees for the award. What made Chien standout from the others was the way she challenged her students to succeed, while learning in an exciting program, Phillips said.

Chien has been teaching IB biology since 2008 with a 100 percent passing rate on the internal assessment and 80 percent of her students scoring at the highest level, according to the school.

The IB diploma program is an internationally recognized, rigorous pre-university course of studies that surpasses New York state requirements. The program has also seen an enrollment increase of an average of 24 percent since 2009.

"Ms. Chien demonstrates the qualities of not just a great teacher, but a fantastic teacher who is extremely dedicated in guiding her students to success," said Jessica Sheremet, a senior at Schenectady High School who has been in Chien's classroom for two years.

Chien, who is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and biology from Barnard College of Columbia University, and a master's degree in education and technology from New York University.

Chien will be eligible to compete for this year's New York State Teacher of the Year contest.

Jackson Wang, a College of Saint Rose junior, is a Times Union intern. He can be reached at Jwang@timesunion.com.

Excerpt from:
Big day for high school teacher