A first-grade teacher at Lake Norman Charter School, Stephanie Lane is one of nine finalists for the 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year, which will be announced at a ceremony on April 24. Ahead of the event, we are sharing the finalists’ stories so the public can get to know these extraordinary individuals and learn about their contributions to North Carolina public schools.
Stephanie Lane’s classroom is a place where a kid can be a kid.
Alarmed by her students growing dependence on social media “likes” for validation, Lane built her classroom around creativity, play and authentic connections – sans screens.
STEM bins create opportunities for hands-on unstructured play, games like Uno and chess build teamwork skills and each student has their own “Imagination Journal.” Technology is used sparingly and appropriately as a tool for learning, not fun.
“At the heart of this journey, I've realized that teaching in today's world is not just about literacy and math – it's about helping children reclaim their childhood,” Lane said. “I hope that they leave my classroom not only stronger readers and thinkers but also more confident, grounded and joyful human beings.”
Acknowledging that parents are a child’s first and most important teachers, Lane encourages family involvement in her classroom. A favorite activity, Mystery Readers, invites family members and community leaders to surprise the class by reading aloud, not only fostering a love of reading but showing students the diversity of voices that exist in their community.
She also takes a student-centered approach to literacy. Lane designed an activity called Phonics Rounds that split students into groups with different objectives, allowing her to effectively differentiate instruction for student needs.
The activity was so successful that she shared it with another teacher at her school, and then another – culminating in six first-grade classes participating in Phonics Rounds during the 2024-25 school year. Of 120 students who were involved, 115 met their end-of-year literacy benchmarks.
Lake Norman Principal Michelle Holland said that Lane’s effectiveness is rooted in her ability to make both students and their families feel seen, valued and supported.
“I have seen students walk into her classroom and immediately feel at ease,” Holland wrote in a recommendation letter supporting Lane’s Teacher of the Year application. “I have also seen her nurture students who initially struggled with academics and confidence – students who later proudly shared, ‘I love reading,’ because of the progress they made under her care. Watching her work directly with students, I can say with certainty that she embodies the best of what we hope every teacher will be.”
Shannon Stein, superintendent of Lake Norman Charter School, said Lane’s impact extends far beyond her own classroom.
In addition to her role as a classroom teacher, Lane is her school’s support lead for Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). She works with her colleagues to help struggling students by streamlining intervention processes, facilitating data meetings and assisting teachers with the often-overwhelming process of tiered instruction.
“Stephanie is the type of educator who reminds us why we entered this profession,” Stein wrote in a letter of recommendation. “She leads with compassion, teaches with excellence and inspires both students and colleagues to rise to their best selves.”
Her whole-school approach has earned her a spot on the transition team for the charter school’s newest campus, Lake Norman Charter Elementary - West Campus.
When it opens for the 2026-27 school year, Lane and eight of her coworkers will share their expertise and spread the positive school culture they have created at the East Campus to 325 new students and 20+ new faculty members.