A “say cheese” moment. Brittney Steine, who also coaches gymnastics, hoists a smart phone for a selfie with some of her middle school athletes at the announcement of her award. And the band the band played on.
Honor unexpected at Middle School assembly
WINONA, Minn. — A middle school teacher, Brittney Steine, has been named the 2025 Winona Education Association Teacher of the Year. The announcement was a surprise for Steine at a student assembly ostensibly to celebrate Halloween. As faculty, she’s young. Six years ago She started an alternative learning program called DEED — short for Discover, Explore, Engage, and Develop. The goal: To connect every student and family to the school community and “as part of something greater than themselves.” Steine arranges educational and confidence-building team trips. These incude visits to Oxbow Park, to the ropes course at Winona State University, to Eagle Bluff Learning Center, and to Whitewater State Park to collect samples from the river. She helps students learn soft skills, like practicing formally introducing themselves to school staff or making phone calls — yes, the teen-age horror of making a phone call and not just texting. Yes, she said, it’s good preparation for future job interviews. Steine recently won a $5,000 grant from the Foundation for Winona Area Public Schools middle school students to join a high school woodworking project to build a greenhouse to produce plants to be sold in a student-run store.
Steine. Winona Scbools 2025 Teacher of Year.