Bennington Middle School Teacher Named Nebraska Teacher of the Year

Lindsey Wilson, a 6th-8th grade math, science, and social studies teacher at Bennington Middle School was named the 2025 Nebraska Teacher of the Year during a surprise award presentation today.

Nebraska Commissioner of Education Brian Maher presented the award.

Wilson was one of three finalists for the Nebraska Teacher of the Year award. Megan Pitrat of Syracuse/Avoca/Dunbar Middle School and Tom Whisinnand of Neihardt Elementary in Millard were also finalists and will be recognized as Award of Excellence winners.

Wilson has been a teacher since 2009, working in Omaha at King Science and Technology Magnet School and Morton Magnet School in OPS until her move to Bennington Middle School in 2022.

In the classroom, Wilson is constantly looking for new and better ways to connect with her students and capture their imagination and passion. She is not afraid to break from tradition and shake things up to help students. Wilson believes that students learn best when they are actively engaged in real-world applications of scientific concepts and has developed and implemented a number of collaborative, inquiry-based projects providing students with hands-on learning experiences. As an educator, she often asks her students to take risks, to be vulnerable in their learning, and to embrace new challenges.

As the 2025 Teacher of the Year, Wilson wants to remind teachers of why they entered the profession and help them find joy in the classroom again. She also wants teachers to truly understand their value and impact.

“Our influence extends far beyond the walls of our classrooms, reaching into the lives of our students, their families, and the broader community,” Wilson wrote in her application. “We are not just conveyors of information, but shapers of future citizens, thinkers, doers, and leaders. This realization is empowering, and it's essential that every teacher recognizes the profound difference they make each day.”

Wilson has been a teacher for 15 years and earned an associate’s of arts at Hawkeye Community College, a bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Middle Level Education at the University of Northern Iowa, and a master’s degree in Elementary and Secondary Administration at Concordia University.

A panel of Nebraska educators selected Wilson as the 2025 Nebraska Teacher of the Year. The Teacher of the Year program recognizes the contributions of classroom teachers who are exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, skilled, and who have the ability to inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn.

Wilson, Pitrat, and Whisinnand will be honored by the Nebraska State Board of Education at a reception in December.

Wilson will also participate in the National Teacher of the Year competition later this year.