ST. CLOUD, Fla. — An Osceola County A + Teacher goes all out to help her students do deep dives into their lessons.

The energy and excitement Hickory Tree Elementary School teacher Ashley Thomas fosters fun times and learning that's memorable. She describes the learning atmosphere with a chuckle, "It's a very noisy classroom." 

In her kindergarten classrooms in the past, she was known for her imagination. She put on elaborate surprise, reveals in spaces where students learned by transforming her classroom overnight.  

Thomas adds, "I've transformed my classroom into a campground. I've transformed it into a jungle, into a pizza shop, a sub shop." She describes the reaction when her students step back into the classroom.

"They are just like, ‘Oh where are we?’ And I get them into full character with hats or aprons. So it's just another way to make learning fun for them," she explains.

Thomas is now teaching third graders math and science at the school in St. Cloud and is multiplying the creativity.

While her classroom glows in the dark, some days her students are still challenged and still doing their school work during what's called, "Black Light Fridays."

Thomas says, ​"It's an incentive that I use with them that they have to work for all week long to earn that fun Friday. It's still all educational. It's all following our district curriculum." 

She adds, "Yes it's more work but it's for the kids and it's for them to be successful so I'm willing to put in the extra work."