Remembering Ms. I For The Right Reasons
SAMIN FAIZ || STAFF WRITER
There is a classroom at Andover High where students think twice before whispering while the teacher is talking. They compete for her approval like jesters before a king. Each assignment feels like defusing a time bomb. In fact, if a bomb were to go off during a test, nobody would flinch—their grade is more important to them than their limbs staying intact. Okay, maybe not literally—but it can feel that way when the stakes are high.
But who is the legend behind all the stories?
“It’s not just about teaching chemistry,” said Bettyann Iannuccilli, longtime chemistry teacher at AHS. “It’s about getting your students ready for the real world.”
At the end of this school year, we are not only losing 405 beloved seniors from our school—we are losing what much of the AHS community—students and faculty included—consider to be a “school mom.” Formidable though she may seem at first glance, it’s important to remember her for the kind soul that she is.
“AHS has been my family for 34 years,” recalled Iannuccilli. “I got into this profession because I wanted to make a difference to students—and hopefully I’ve done that. But it’s very difficult to please 100 percent of the people 100 percent of the time.”
No matter who you had for general chemistry, you were bound to have heard of “Ms. I.” Her class is not easy, and she’s well aware of it.
“I hope my students know that even though I may be strict in the classroom and hold high expectations, I try to do it in the fairest way possible.”
Her students take satisfaction in the rigor of her class, much like the empowering euphoria that comes from solving a puzzle.
“I personally enjoy her class … it’s challenging, but it’s also interactive and engaging,” described Anika Nagle, a current student in Iannuccilli’s AP Chemistry class. “I think the workload is reasonable, it’s definitely not light, but for a class like chemistry that requires a lot of technical knowledge, I think it’s very well balanced.”
This is a classroom where warriors are made, and Nagle wasn’t the only one who was fond of her transformative experience in Iannuccilli’s class.
“Even though I was her student, I often felt respected and treated like a friend when I spoke with Ms. I,” said Daniel Shin, a former AP Chemistry student of Iannuccilli and Class of 2025 graduate. “She never patronized me despite being a teenager.”
A freshman at Columbia University, Shin is no stranger to rigorous academics. Fortunately, he has a little something handy that functions as both a keepsake and a study tool:
“I’ve missed my last 9 lectures for chemistry in college and I still have an A in the class. I just go through my AP Chem notebook that I kept from high school.”
Despite attending such a prestigious university, Shin has not forgotten Iannuccilli’s exceptional teaching ability.
“The professors here are pure researchers who aren’t good at teaching concepts and I 100 percent believe she can outteach most of the faculty here in the chemistry department.”
Over the years, Iannuccilli has accumulated extensive experience in the AP Chemistry department. With her guidance, newer teachers are able to make a seamless transition into the demands of the course.
“I respect her a lot as a colleague,” said Sarah Fisher, a fellow chemistry teacher and close friend of Iannuccilli. As this is her first year teaching AP Chemistry, she is set to take over both sections next year. “[Iannuccilli] has been helping me with materials, timing, and that sort of thing, which has been super helpful.”
Though professional and deeply supportive, the relationship between the two has not been limited to within the classroom doors.
“We’ve hung out outside of school before,” recalled Fisher. “Once she actually took me to a casino. When I go to a casino, I have a policy: I take like 20 bucks and when it’s gone, it’s gone—and then I just kind of wander around and do my own thing. If I remember correctly, she actually put some money into the machine and told me to keep playing.”
There seem to be endless layers to Iannuccilli’s personality, and nowhere is that more evident than in her own classroom. There’s a saying: “Not all heroes wear capes.” By the same token, not all “villains” of the story dwell in an evil labyrinth—which may explain the kitten-themed calendar hanging on the bulletin board behind her desk. Beside it is a collage of newspaper clippings, handwritten letters, and other meaningful items honoring her past and present students.
“I like to cut out pictures of my students playing in their sports games, concerts, and plays then put them on my wall,” beamed Iannuccilli.
Teaching at Andover High for 34 years has its perks—some of which can get quite interesting.
“I’ve received some really touching e-mails from kids who graduated quite a long time ago and have shared how I influenced their life in a positive manner,” said Iannuccilli. “And it’s kind of funny, but a couple of them have turned out to be chemistry teachers, too.”
Yeah, that is quite funny—but it’s more surreal than anything. 34 years is a long time. To put that into perspective, consider the average generation time of 26.9 years. The meaning of this, you ask?
“I’ve had a few students who got to know each other in my chemistry class who eventually got married. Now I have their kids,” giggled Iannuccilli, as if it were a common phenomenon among teachers.
As the end of the year draws nearer, the news is starting to settle in for some—Iannuccilli included. Thus, retirement life for her is starting to come into focus.
“I have little projects I need to do at my home and at my beach condo. So, those are a few things I’ll start doing. And I have to be busy, so chances are I’m going to get a part-time job doing something.”
At the end of the day, Iannuccilli is on track to finish the year—as well as her career—with something very special in mind:
“This is the most rewarding profession there is.”
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