NEED TO KNOW
- Growing up in San Benito, Texas, Bianca Pecina helped her mom spruce up classrooms at the daycare her mom owned
- So when Pecina began her teaching career four years ago, she knew she wanted her classroom to feel unique, inviting and inspiring
- The final result cost $2,000 and shocked her students
Bianca Pecina has always found joy in decorating. Growing up in San Benito, Texas, she helped her mom spruce up classrooms at the daycare her mom owned — a formative experience that sparked her creativity from a young age.
So when Pecina began her teaching career four years ago, she knew she wanted her classroom to feel unique, inviting and inspiring.
Now entering her fifth year as a 4th-grade reading teacher, Pecina says transforming her classroom has become second nature.
“I can walk into an empty room and immediately picture it fully decorated,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Bianca Pecina in her classroom.
Bianca Pecina
This year, the 26-year-old chose the “Emotional Rollercoaster” theme from Schoolgirl Style, decorating with soft pastel colors, cheerful smiley faces, and playful pencil motifs.
“I love incorporating smiley faces and pencils into the theme,” Pecina says. “Even on the toughest days, seeing a smiley face reminds me that everything’s going to be okay.”
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A closeup of Bianca Pecina’s classroom.
Bianca Pecina
A full classroom transformation can take anywhere from one week to a month. This year, it took her about two weeks to print, laminate, cut and set everything up — with help from her supportive family.
When it comes to classroom materials, Pecina takes a thoughtful mix-and-match approach. While she purchases some items, she also DIYs as much as possible. Most of this year’s décor came from Schoolgirl Style, but she added plenty of personal touches, including magnetic bookshelves, grass walls, teacher toolboxes and crates. One standout feature? Her pencil lamps, which add a fun dose of personality and charm to the space.
“I never try to use just one thing,” she says. “If I can create or DIY something, I’ll try to do that as well. The mix is always just right.”
Of course, transforming a classroom like this doesn’t come cheap. Pecina estimates the cost can range from $500 to $2,000. But with the support of her husband — and two years of her Amazon Teacher Wish List being cleared by generous donors — she’s been able to bring her vision to life.
“There’s a lot of planning, shopping and prep that goes into it,” she says. “But it’s all worth it when I see the kids walk in and light up.”
Pecina believes the atmosphere she creates has a meaningful impact on her students’ mindset.
“I do feel that the décor changes the energy in my classroom,” she says. “There’s a designated place called the ‘calming corner’ that my students can access freely to gather their thoughts before diving into the content. This kind of space helps them feel welcomed and encouraged to try their best.”
Over the years, Pecina has received countless heartfelt reactions, but one, in particular, has stayed with her.
“One day, a male student pulled me aside and said, ‘Thank you, Mrs. Pecina, for taking the time to do this for us and showing us that you care,’ ” she recalls. “That one sentence made every second worth it.”
“It’s something I repeat to myself when I feel like I’m not doing enough,” she adds. “It reminds me exactly why I created this space in the first place.”
“I’ve had such positive feedback from my administration, fellow teachers and staff,” she says. “Their support has truly encouraged me to keep creating a space where students feel comfortable. Their gasps, smiles, and shocked reactions are one of the most amazing parts of a completed transformation.”
Closeup of Bianca Pecina’s classroom.
Bianca Pecina
Like many educators, Pecina spent years scrolling through social media for inspiration. At first, she only shared photos of her classroom with close family and friends on Facebook. But after repeated encouragement — “You should really start sharing this online, you have fun ideas that other teachers would love!” — she decided to start posting publicly on TikTok.
It didn’t take long for her creativity to catch fire.
“The first viral video happened overnight,” she says. “I woke up to so many messages, questions and followers. I didn’t know how to process it, but I was so excited that other teachers loved my classroom as much as I did!”
Her favorite part? Seeing her DIY ideas recreated in classrooms across the country.
“It feels amazing to think that my little ideas are sitting in classrooms all over right now.”
Her students have also embraced her growing online presence.
“They’ve loved every second of the ‘fame,’ ” Pecina says. “They encourage me to recreate trending dance videos and share my fun teacher outfits online. They’re truly my No. 1 supporters!”
Closeup of Bianca Pecina’s classroom.
Bianca Pecina
The ripple effect of her work has extended beyond her own campus, too.
“One time, I was stopped outside of school by a teacher who told me that my videos encouraged her to keep going in the education field — and that she created her own classroom inspired by what I’d shared,” Pecina says. “That moment reminded me that what I’m doing matters.”
Pecina knows how overwhelming it can feel to build your dream classroom. Her biggest tip? Start small.
“A full classroom transformation doesn’t happen overnight — or even over a summer break,” she says. “It takes years to build up a collection of classroom items.”
Another helpful strategy: Stick with a color scheme.
“If you want a bright-colored classroom, only buy items that match that scheme,” she advises. “Constantly changing it makes building a collection harder. But when you stay consistent, by year two or three, you’re just adding to what you already have.”
While her big annual classroom makeover kicks off the year, Pecina doesn’t stop there. Throughout the school year, she plans themed classroom days to boost student engagement.
“We’ve done everything from a 50s diner and StarBOOKS café to Sports Day, Safari Day, Fear Factor Day, Spy Day, Super Bowl Day and more,” she says. “It all started with ‘Rock Your School’ from Get Your Teach On, a program that encourages educators to step out of their comfort zones and create memorable experiences for their students.”
And the results speak for themselves.
“Our students are always so engaged on those days. As long as we see them excited and motivated, we’ll keep doing the out-of-the-box transformations!”
Door decorations in Bianca Pecina’s classroom.
Bianca Pecina
As for what’s next?
“I don’t know what my next theme will be,” Pecina admits. “I’ve been loving the pastel colors I have going on right now.”
She usually waits until the end of the school year to start brainstorming, although inspiration often strikes when she least expects it.
“Some of my best ideas have come from random, spur-of-the-moment thoughts,” she says.
