2026 Teacher of the Year hopes to inspire others on untraditional teaching path

Sarah Hardin didn’t take the traditional path to teaching. She was a banker with a science degree when the superintendent of Mullen Public Schools knocked on her door asking her to teach 19 years ago.

As Nebraska’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, she wants to inspire schools, especially rural districts, to look for people like her to become teachers. The Nebraska Department of Education announced the honor on Monday.

“I hope that people kind of look outside of the norm for teachers in their area, too,” Hardin said. “If you can't find a teacher, look for somebody like me that has an interest and a passion in that subject area.”

Through a transition program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Hardin was able to obtain her teaching degree while she started teaching at Mullen.

She teaches science at Mullen High School in northwest Nebraska. Hardin previously spoke to Nebraska Public Media for a "What If..." segment, a program exploring creativity and innovation in Nebraska, that aired in 2021. She talked about adjusting her lessons in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hardin said science is the best subject to teach in her opinion.

“I just enjoy that interaction and getting to see the excitement on kids' faces when they're learning science,” she said. “I think that's what drives me. It's so fun. I always tell people I teach the best subject.”

Her advice for new teachers is to try new things and find what works best for them.

“In my classroom, hands-on projects work really, really well, and we do maybe a little less technology than some of the classes,” Hardin said. “But for other classes, it's heavy with technology.”

Hardin added that new teachers should also learn from other educators around them. She said she’s looking forward to learning from other educators as she travels for her Teacher of the Year duties and offering up her own science wisdom.

“I always enjoy that part, and always feel like I can learn just as much from other people, if not more. I'm really excited for the learning process for myself,” Hardin said. “Of course, I'm very passionate about science education, so I'm always excited to talk about that and share ideas with what I can offer.”

The current Teacher of the Year for 2025 is Lindsey Wilson, who teaches at Bennington Middle School. Hardin will start in the role in January.