Jim Lane has taught science at Mahtomedi High School for 13 years. Photos: Chris Emeott
The Minnesota Teacher of the Year semifinalist shares why he loves teaching.
Jim Lane, a science teacher at Mahtomedi High School and 2025–26 Mahtomedi Teacher of the Year, was recently named a semifinalist for the Minnesota Teacher of the Year award, honoring his dedication to students in the classroom and beyond. “For me, it really comes down to hands-on engagement. Getting students to feel a sense of wonder and truly marvel at the complexity of the natural world is what I hope to help accomplish,” Lane says.
Lane’s journey to becoming one of Minnesota’s most admired teachers started when he was in elementary school, facing an unexpected loss. When his elementary school science teacher passed away during the school year, Lane struggled to cope. “It really hit me hard,” he says. “That kind of loss was tough to process at that age, and I completely checked out of school, especially science.”
When Lane got to high school, his science teacher, Jim Tuchscherer, reignited his passion for the subject. Tuchscherer’s energy and joy for teaching was contagious. “That’s when it clicked for me that teaching high school biology is what I wanted to do,” he says.
With 17 years of teaching under his belt (13 at Mahtomedi High School), Lane has developed a teaching style that encourages curiosity. Instead of asking questions and focusing on answers, he prompts students to engage in critical thinking and exploration. “If students get the chance to ask their own questions, that is what creates lifelong learners,” Lane says. “Too often, we ask kids to answer questions they’ve never actually wondered about.”
Jim Lane handles his classroom’s pet snake, Tephra.
Lane says his role is to give students freedom to explore; he steps in to guide them when they need support. It’s a hands-on and energetic approach that works, whether students are aware of it at the time or not. “Every year, I get emails from former students who tell me they didn’t realize it at the time, but now they understand what I was doing,” he says. “That to me is validation. While awards and recognitions are great, it’s those emails that tell me I did something right … I love seeing a student who didn’t believe in themselves realize what they’re truly capable of.”
He recalls a day outside with his class where they silently watched a fawn from a safe distance. “That shared sense of wonder is what really sticks,” he says. “It was a really special moment.”
As the years pass, Lane says the role of teacher continues to evolve—whether it’s with the rise of technology or teaching through a global pandemic. Whatever happens, he plans to adapt and continue to learn. “If I teach the same way two years in a row, I’m probably not doing my job,” he says.
And for new teachers, his advice is simple: Focus on relationships first. “If you don’t build trust and community, the content won’t matter,” he says. “But when you do, that’s when the real learning begins.”
That’s who Jim Lane is: a lifelong learner, hoping to make a difference for generations to come.
