Madison Demke, a sophomore at Nebraska Wesleyan University and a member of NWU’s WISE (Wesleyan Institute for Successful Educators) Honors Program, has a unique opportunity this semester to shadow Lindsey Wilson, who was recognized as the 2025 Nebraska Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska Department of Education.
Wilson currently teaches seventh-grade science, math and social studies at Bennington Middle School in Bennington, Nebraska. Her teaching approach emphasizes connecting students to real-world concepts and creating a classroom culture of curiosity and collaboration.
“My goal this semester is to show Madison how to teach like a rebel,” Wilson said. “Teaching doesn’t have to be scripted, rigid or one-size-fits-all. Teaching should be about breaking the barriers that hold students—and ourselves as teachers—back from achieving greatness.”
Demke experienced Wilson’s innovative teaching style on the first day, when she was handed two costumes to wear.
“For our order-of-operations lab, we played medical doctors. And in science, we were working with geology on Mars, so we wore NASA spacesuits. I got to join in on the fun and see how Lindsey’s teaching approach really hooked the students,” Demke said.
Wilson says future teachers learn the most when they can see great educators in action.
“I help them realize teaching is not about perfection or control,” she said, “but about giving students a voice, letting them lead parts of their learning, and watching great things happen.”
Demke has not only connected with Wilson, but with the students as well.
“For example, today I noticed a student who was frustrated and not sure where to start. I helped him break his task down. From there, he knew what to do. It was really meaningful to guide him, earn his trust and watch him finish his work,” she said.
It is rare for a sophomore to have a teaching practicum experience.
“What I’ve loved about this partnership is that Madison is still early in her career with so much time to grow,” Wilson said. “The fact that she’s already in the classroom as a sophomore means she can continue building on what she’s learning. She’s expanding her toolbox and will have more to draw from when she’s in her own classroom.”
Wilson also teaches Demke about classroom management.
“Being in a real classroom lets you see all the variables that affect a school day. For example, you can write the perfect lesson plan, but you never know what will happen. No day of teaching ever looks the same. I can teach the same lesson five times, and it will be different every time because of the students, their struggles, their excitement and everything they bring with them," she said.
“It’s about how you connect with your students and spark their curiosity. You only learn that by being in the classroom—you can’t get it anywhere else.”