A Wiscasset fourth-grade teacher known for bringing nature and place-based learning into her classes has been named Maine’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, the Department of Education announced Thursday.

Becky Hallowell has taught at Wiscasset Elementary School in Lincoln County since 2018 and was named Lincoln County’s teacher of the year in May. She was among four finalists announced in August and learned about her award in a surprise ceremony in the school’s gymnasium Thursday morning, according to an announcement from the Maine Department of Education, which made the selection with the nonprofit Educate Maine.

The other finalists were science teachers Allyson Gilbert from Sagadahoc County and Katie Strait from Cumberland County, and language arts teacher Emilie Throckmorton from Penobscot County.

“The Maine Teacher of the Year process has allowed me to honor past teachers, like my mother, who dedicated her career to her first-grade students, as well as current teachers like my colleagues in Wiscasset and those who taught my sons,” Hallowell said in a statement after winning the Lincoln County award. “Most importantly, celebrating Maine’s talented educators plays an important role in inspiring our current students to become our future teachers.”

Thursday’s announcement described Hallowell as a nature-oriented educator who makes connections between her classroom and the local, state and global community. Hallowell also serves as a mentor to other educators and often presents innovative research at education conferences, it said.

“This comes as no surprise to us,” Wiscasset School Department Superintendent Kim Andersson said in the statement. “Becky is an innovative outdoor educator whose love of life and learning inspires and elevates everyone around her. Her work fosters care and knowledge about the environment and teaches every student the importance of their impact on the world around them.”