University of Southern Maine alumna Becky Hallowell is looking back on a very busy 2025 as Maine Teacher of the Year, a statewide honor that recognized her work bringing nature-based learning to her fourth-grade classroom in Wiscasset.
The yearlong role, administered by Educate Maine and the Maine Department of Education, brought Hallowell to state and national conferences and into education policy conversations, where she drew on the skills and confidence developed in part during her graduate studies at USM.
Hallowell, now in her 30th year of teaching, has never stopped being a student. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from the University of Maine at Farmington in 1994, and then her Master of Science in Educational Leadership from USM in 2011.
Her graduate studies proved essential. The public speaking and critical thinking skills she developed at USM became the foundation for her statewide leadership role. Now she plans to return to school once more, pursuing a certificate in nature-based education from UMF – three decades after geology field trips there first sparked her interest in outdoor learning.
Teachers inspire teachers: Hallowell’s early influences
Hallowell grew up in a family of teachers. At one point, she, her mother, aunt and cousin all taught first grade, but her mother’s influence proved especially meaningful.
“My mom was super creative with her teaching practice and she modeled to me what great teaching looked like,” Hallowell said. “I still talk teaching with my mom over a cup of tea and she helps me refine my work.”
At UMF, her understanding of the classroom began to expand beyond four walls.
“I remember taking a geology class for my UMF undergraduate work in the early ‘90s,” Hallowell said. “The instructor took us on field trips to see different rock formations and waterfalls. These trips were the seeds that helped me start thinking of the power of taking students outside to learn.”
This idea took root and grew into a teaching philosophy that would define her 30-year career.
Nature-based learning: Impact beyond the classroom
As Hallowell incorporated more nature-based learning into her teaching, she noticed a tangible shift in her students.
“The students who are often overlooked in the classroom, who are quiet, or not as confident, often thrive in nature,” she said. “I have students who don’t offer to share at all in the classroom grab my hand outside to show me ants and mushrooms they have discovered.”
During 2025, as Hallowell traveled to regional and national conferences, she discovered her teaching philosophy was part of a growing movement.
“I presented at the National Conference for Teachers of English this past November and was delighted that there seemed to be a strand of other educators presenting about nature and place based learning,” she said.
That broader trend gave Hallowell’s work new relevance in her role as Teacher of the Year.
The Teacher of the Year platform
As Maine Teacher of the Year, Hallowell spent 2025 presenting at state and national conferences, delivering professional development to educators across Maine, and engaging with policymakers on education legislation.
What mattered most, however, were the smaller moments: the conversations that led to collaboration.
“Each week I was connecting with people at the state and national level,” she said. “The biggest lesson I take away from this year is the importance of connecting with other people, listening to their stories, and finding ways to weave my story with theirs.”
Hallowell’s year of leadership and connection came with a platform for advocacy that she was quick to embrace. The skills and confidence to do so came from her 2011 Master of Science in Educational Leadership at USM.
“I learned how to consider multiple perspectives in my Educational Leadership program,” she said. “In my role as Maine Teacher of the Year, I used that curiosity to ask questions and think critically about the responses I received. The confidence I gained certainly came in useful with all the public speaking.”
Though the Teacher of the Year platform has ended, her advocacy continues.
“Teachers in the classroom are the experts on what education needs to thrive,” she said. “I will continue to invite local leaders into my classroom and write testimony for bills I want a say in.”
Lessons for the next generation
Throughout the yearlong journey, Hallowell kept her students – and the next generation of teachers – in mind.
“I want my students to see the journey I went on as Maine Teacher of the Year as an invitation to be bold, to face the challenges that intimidate them,” she said. “For those who are considering education, I would love them to see teaching as a powerful career, one that has great influence on the future.”
Hallowell’s trajectory, as both student and teacher, proves the influence she describes. From UMF field trips to USM graduate study to statewide leadership, the skills she learned continue to shape Maine education today.
Hallowell earned her Master of Science in Educational Leadership from USM’s School of Education and Human Development. Learn more about graduate and undergraduate programs in education at USM and take the next step in your teaching career.