Teacher's Nostalgic Classroom Décor Goes Viral — and Gets a Shoutout from a Former Disney Star (Exclusive)

The crafty teacher tells PEOPLE how she brings her colorful, creative ideas to life each year

• Yennifer Castillo has gone viral for the creative classroom setups she executes each year

• The science teacher, currently teaching high schoolers, tells PEOPLE about how she comes up with her ideas and brings them to life

• The educator explains why it's so important to try and engage students in unexpected ways
  

Yennifer Castillo is bringing her A-plus-game and creativity to a new school year.

A teacher of five years, Castillo is gearing up for a new beginning as a high school teacher this year, after four years of teaching middle school.

"I got my degree in biology education. I've been teaching a variety of sciences — earth science, space science, and physical science. Now, I'm reaching marine and environmental sciences," she tells PEOPLE.

Teaching is a dream come true for Castillo, who "always wanted to be a teacher."

"I have a picture of myself and I was like 7 or 8 years old [below]. In the picture, I have a whiteboard and I'm teaching my dolls. I always tell people I'm living in one of my answered prayers. One of my dreams is now real."

Castillo brings that energy to overhauling her classroom each summer for a new school year, inspired by the teachers she had growing up.

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"I had teachers who always decorated their classrooms based on whatever we were learning. One of my most vivid memories is in fifth grade when we were learning about Greek mythology. One of my teachers put columns around the classroom and had togas. It was so cool and something I knew I wanted to implement when I started teaching. I teach a subject that can feel less engaging, so I wanted to build an environment that excites my students."

Each year, Castillo picks a different theme that fits into her subject matter and adds a playful element to it.

"This year, being that I'm teaching marine science and environmental science, which are both subjects that focus on the Earth and how we can take better care of it, I thought the most on-brand cartoon would be Kim Possible," she shares. "In her theme song, she says she's just an average girl and she's here to save the world. I thought it was fitting and works great with the blue and green."

The theme came together so well that Christy Carlson Romano, who voiced Kim Possible, shared the photos and shouted Castillo out for her hard work on TikTok.

Castillo has done a number of fun themes over the years, including Beyoncé, Lilo & Stitch, Dexter's Laboratory and The Proud Family.

"My favorite has to be The Proud Family. I like to pick the themes from cartoons and shows that I watched growing up. I like how the generations get to cross and the exchanges I get to have with my students. They teach me the new trends, the new dances, the new songs. They keep me up to date, and in exchange, I get to show them a little bit about what life was like for me in middle school and the things I watched and the things I did."

While putting it all together is fun for Castillo, who is a natural creative, it's even better to see her students excited for a new year.

"The students are excited to come to class. They know it's not going to be just a standard, boring science class," she says. "It's very heartwarming because there are a lot of them that do recognize the cartoons. Then there are some where I do get the chance to teach them about it."

"I had my doubts. I was like, 'Oh my God, they're going to think I'm doing too much,' " she adds. "But they really appreciate it. I heard them talking in the hall leading up to my classroom, which has a window where you can see inside. One was like, 'I think I'm gonna like this.' And those are the kinds of things that just make my heart soar. Before they've even heard me speak or received the syllabus, they already have it in their mind they'll enjoy this class."

When Castillo first started building her creative classrooms — in one of the rare schools students attended in person during the pandemic — she decided to share the process on Twitter. Since then, she's come to share what she puts together each year across Twitter, TikTok and more.

"My first classroom in 2020 was unique because since I only had three to six students at a time, my principal gave me a lot of leniency in what we could do. I taught them how to cook. We were sewing masks for the students in our school. I was able to teach them life skills. I would post what we were doing in the classroom on Twitter and from there, people told me I should post on TikTok," Castillo recalls.

There, she shared her Proud Family classroom from her second year of teaching and found people were captivated by her process. Castillo ultimately started an Etsy where she shares printables that make it easier for other teachers to bring big, creative ideas to their own classrooms.

"One thing I do want other teachers to know, with the limited budgets and salaries that we get, is that you should always strive to do what you can. I always look for affordable ways to do what I can do myself. When it comes to decorating with the characters, there aren't always things you can easily find and pay for, so it's cool to make your own things. I'd say look for the things you can do yourself to save some money," she says.

"Also, make sure you do it for yourself. Don't listen to anyone else. Don't listen to people who say you're doing too much. I believe that our students, truthfully, have had some of their childhoods taken from them growing up during COVID. So many had to grow up faster, and because of quarantine, they didn't get that bright, colorful elementary or middle school experience," Castillo notes.

"So don't feel bad if you want to go all out, but also don't feel bad if you can't. At the end of the day, so many of us don't get paid enough," she says. "If it wasn't for the support I get from monetization and my wish list, I wouldn't be able to go and do it as big as I do. You're not any less if you can't. At the end of the day, we're here to teach, and there are other ways we can make it fun."

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Read the original article on People.