Central Florida Inside the Magic reader Lynne DiPrato brought her passion for Disney’s Magic Kingdom with her to the classroom. Taking at home imagineering to a new level of fun, this Orange County teacher treats her students to an enchanting education environment.
Bringing bright happy inspiration into her classroom, Lynne DiPrato meets her students surrounded by magical manifestations from Walt’s Florida playground. From Tsum Tsum treasures to travel trinkets, Disney décor delivers delight to her students.
“When I found out I would be teaching the upper-grade levels in elementary, I knew I wanted my classroom to not just be “Disney” or “Mickey Mouse”, but Magic Kingdom! I know the Magic Kingdom is a place that people of all ages visit to have fun and make memories. My goal in teaching is to make everything my students learn both memorable and as fun as possible. I want them to look back on their 3rd and 4th-grade years as some of their best school years and having a room to make their dreams come true was step one of teaching my goal.” Lynne DiPrato.
Inspired by a graduation gift (crafted Cinderella’s castle) received from her childhood best friend, Lynne brings the magic of Disney to work. Cleverly creating pixie dust decorations that following summer, her classroom is amazingly adorned with custom foam features and signs.
“The reactions I receive from both families and students when they see the signs are the best! I love that they help my students take pride in their classroom.” – Lynne DiPrato
This is only Lynne’s second year shaping young minds. Her elementary school students are fortunate to have an educator passionate about creating a comforting and enjoyable environment and can look forward to more Disney inspired holiday fun throughout the years.
When asked about her favorite Disney item found in her classroom, Lynne advised, “I think one of my favorite items is my mickey-shaped basket of all different Tsum Tsums. I started collecting them for my classroom when I was at UCF earning my bachelor’s degree in Elementary education. I originally thought I would end up teaching Kindergarten and that Tsum Tsums would be perfect for teaching students how to count! When I was hired to teach third grade, I was worried they wouldn’t end up being used. Surprisingly, we used them all the time for everything from math to recess! At the end of last school year, I was granted the amazing opportunity to be able to loop up with the same group of students and teach them again in fourth grade! My students knew that I was planning to travel to Asia over the summer so it was such a cool moment for the students to come back into the upgraded classroom this year and notice the new additions I picked up for the basket at Hong Kong and Shanghai Disneyland!”
I spent thousands of dollars and countless hours creating almost everything from scratch. I ventured everywhere from aisles of Lowe’s and Home Depot to Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland to make my dream classroom a reality. I hope my post inspires other teacher and Disney fans alike! – Lynne DiPrato
Education should be fun and engaging. Filling her classroom with the Magic Kingdom inspired elements, Lynne DiPrato provides a pixie dust powered push stimulating imagination while making learning a delightful adventure along the way! Find more of this enchanting environment on her Instagram page, just look for #magickingdomclassroom.
Source and images: Lynne DiPrato; additional images via her Instagram account
