The Teacher of the Year program honors excellence in teaching around the state of Wyoming.
Morgan
Hahn
Morgan Hahn, a high school social studies teacher at Lander Valley High School, has been named the 2025 Wyoming Teacher of the Year
Morgan Hahn is a Social Studies teacher at Lander Valley High School in Lander, Wyoming, where she teaches Advanced Placement Psychology, Advanced Placement American History, World History One, and American History to 9th, 11th, and 12th graders. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wyoming and a Master’s Degree in American History and Government with a specialization in teaching the Constitution from Ashland University.
Morgan is also a James Madison Fellow. Through this prestigious program, she completed part of her Master’s Degree at the intensive James Madison Summer Institute at Georgetown University. This award opened new pathways for Morgan, and she is committed to creating similar opportunities for her students. As Wyoming’s 2021 James Madison Fellow, she is especially proud to empower every student to embrace their story, their voice, and their potential to make a positive impact in their communities.
Morgan is at the forefront of developing Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) practices within her district for both students and staff. She views A.I. as a tool to enrich her teaching practice, better serve her students, and bridge gaps in opportunity. She believes in using every tool at her disposal to facilitate high levels of learning for every student, every day. She collaborates closely with her Instructional Facilitator to help teachers integrate A.I. into their teaching. In an era of educational challenges, including staff shortages and high burnout, Morgan strives to be a positive force by helping teachers rediscover their passion for teaching through technological tools.
As Wyoming Teacher of the Year, Hahn will represent the teaching profession in Wyoming and be a spokesperson for education. She will also attend state and national education events and conferences. In addition, he will be a liaison between the teaching community, the Wyoming Legislature, the Wyoming Department of Education, districts, and communities.
The successful candidate who will serve as the Wyoming Teacher of the Year (WTOY) must maintain his/her current employment position. If the WTOY is selected as the National Teacher of the Year (NTOY), they will be released from classroom responsibilities during the year of national recognition.
Being named WTOY comes with the significant responsibility of representing the teaching profession in Wyoming.
The WTOY acts as:
- A liaison between the teaching community, Wyoming Legislature, Wyoming Department of Education, districts and communities.
- An education ambassador to businesses, parents, service organizations, and media.
- A resource on the state of the profession; to be available for workshops and conferences around the state.
- An education leader involved in teacher forums and education reform.
- The WTOY is also expected to attend both state and national events such as education meetings, conferences, and workshops.
The WTOY will be requested to attend many events and make speeches during the year, they must be poised, articulate, and have the energy to withstand a busy schedule. The WTOY automatically becomes the nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program, which is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers.
WTOY Selection Process
All applications received by the deadline will go to the WDE selection panel for review. This Application Information Document provides more information about the WTOY selection process.
Scoring of each application will be based on the 2025 TOY Rubric. The selection panel will individually score each application. The TOY Coordinator will compile all scores to have the top three applications become finalists.
The finalists will also be scheduled for virtual interviews where the entire selection panel will ask finalists questions about their teaching style and practices. The questions for this interview will NOT be given out ahead of time. In addition, the finalists will be asked to give a 5-7 minute keynote addressing their platform topic.
The selection panel will score both the finalist keynotes and interviews individually. Again, scores will be combined to select the WTOY. If there is a tie, the selection panel will meet to discuss and select a recommendation for final approval by the State Superintendent.
A document with suggestions for submitting your application can be found here.
