After four years of teaching middle school, Yennifer Castillo was nervous about transitioning to high school, but it all worked out in the end. She had wanted to be a teacher since she was seven or eight years old. Her toys were her initial students.
She holds a degree in biology education and teaches physical, earth, and space science, as well as environmental and marine sciences.
She welcomed her new class with her usual excitement and decorations, as she does every summer before the start of a new school year. She added that she had seen the decorations from her childhood teachers.
She told People, “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.”
Every year, she selects a theme, injects some humor, and links it to her subject matter. Castillo has produced several interesting themes, including Beyoncé, Lilo & Stitch, Dexter’s Laboratory, and her personal favorite, The Proud Family.
Despite teaching environmental and marine science, she choose to promote the cartoon “Kim Possible” this year.
She stated, “In her theme song, she says she’s simply an ordinary girl who’s coming to save the world. I think it was appropriate and went well with the blue and green.
Christy Carlson Romano, who played Kim Possible, acknowledged Castillo’s efforts on TikTok.
Castillo, who is naturally artistic, says it is even more rewarding to see her kids’ enthusiasm for the next school year as a result of her decorations.
“The students are excited to come to class. They know it’s not going to be just a standard, boring science class,” she said. “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.”
She expressed, “I had my doubts. I was like, ‘Oh my God, they’re going to think I’m doing too much.’ 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.”
During the pandemic, Castillo documented her creative classroom development on Twitter, since it was one of the few schools that children could attend in person. She now uses Twitter, TikTok, and other media to share the designs she creates annually.
People were impressed by her technique when she showed them her second-year Proud Family classroom. Castillo eventually started an Etsy shop where she sells copies of materials that help other instructors incorporate bold, unique ideas into their classes.
She advised, “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.”
“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 added.
She said that she wished she could put up more decorations, but instructors are underpaid to do so.
“I wouldn’t be able to go and do it as big as I do if it wasn’t for the support I get from monetization and my wish list,” she observed. “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.”