An Oregon middle school teacher isn’t letting the fact that he’s a muggle get in the way of giving his students a truly magical school year.
Kyle Hubler, who teaches seventh and eighth grade in Hillsboro, Oregon, turned up to work early this year to decorate his classroom, as so many educators do.
But Mr. Hubler didn’t stick to a few posters and name tags: The Harry Potter enthusiast transformed his entire classroom and office into a Hogwarts-themed wonderland, complete with an incredible array of props and details so elaborate that students were sure to scream ‘Merlin’s beard!’ on their first day.
Courtesy: HowiMetKyle
Every year, packed with muggles of course! A seventh and eighth grade teacher transformed his classroom into Hogwarts, with Platform 9 3/4 on the outside
Hope we didn’t get Snape… Kyle Hubler from Hillsboro, Oregon did all the work himself, hanging house banners from the walls
Ravenclaw’s winning! He even set up a station to look like the House point hourglasses in Hogwarts’ Entrance Hall
NEWT-level collector! Mr. Hubler is a big HP fan and has been collecting merchandise (like wands, a wizard’s chess set, and an acceptance letter) since he was in middle school himself
Mentor: Mr. Hubler said he wants to connect with his students beyond just teaching
The dedicated teacher didn’t even limit his decor to inside the classroom. On their first day, students started their adventure — and trip to Hogwarts — just outside his room.
In the hallway, he hung red bring wallpaper, and above his front door he hung a sign reading Platform 9 3/4, in the perfect Harry Potter font.
Inside, he truly went all-out. More wallpaper recreated the stone walls of Hogwarts, while the chalkboard welcomed kids to the British school of witchcraft and wizardry.
The crests of all four houses were put up, and Potter props littered the room. Mr. Hubler already had a large collection of Potter merchandise — which he started buying back when he was in middle school himself — and decided to bring it all in to hang up and set out on surfaces.
Like in the Great Hall, the house crests also hang from he ceiling, as do candles that Mr. Hubler suspended from string (since he doesn’t have spells at his disposal).
House common room: Mr. Hubler has several rooms off his classroom, including this one that he did up in house colors
Didn’t have to go to the Dursleys… He spent 70 hours over the course of five weeks during the summer decorating
First years, this way! He said the students’ jaws hit the floor and he heard gasps when they walked in
Accio awesomeness! ‘If that can be my legacy, to inspire other teachers to make their learning environments more fun, that is fine by me,’ he said
True fan: He also hung up several posters for Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts Express
Dumbledore would be proud: He only spent about $300 to $400 on additional supplies
Of course, there are books on display — both Harry Potter ones and leather-bound publications that look like they could be found in the Hogwarts library.
There are hourglasses filled with colorful gems to recreate where the house points are tallied, action figures, owl figurines, quills, and wands.
One section of the classroom looks like it came from Olivander’s, with stacks of wands still in boxes.
He even created his own Pensieve, and displayed a set of Quidditch balls. There’s a Sorting Hat and broomsticks, cauldrons and trunks, and mini potion bottles.
He has a wizard’s chess set, Gobstones, and a Hogwarts acceptance letter. He even appears to have arranged another room, perhaps an office, with house banners and chairs in the colors of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.
Like the Great Hall! He covered the ceiling in black and splatter-painted it to look like the night’s sky
Fun and games: He also had a Quidditch set, Gobstones, and wizarding chess
Huge collectioN: His office is decorated, too, with wands, a Harry Potter calendar, and other merch
No way he’s a Slytherin: He has lots of books, some potions, and the Sorting Hat
Details: He added Harry Potter candy, some skulls, and DVDs
Realistic: The books on his desk are held in place by two owl-shaped bookends
Best teacher ever: He’s got a broom — though not a Firebolt — and lots of candles
A thrill for all! The teacher said even his school principal was excited
Penny for your thoughts… His room has boxes of wands and a great replica of a Pensieve
All in all, the project took him about 70 hours to complete, spanning across five weeks at the end of the summer.
In addition to bringing in his own merchandise, he also bought supplies online and at hardware stores — out of his own pocket — to up the wow factor.
Unsurprisingly, the students were blown away when they saw it.
‘I heard audible gasps and saw jaws drop to the floor,’ he told the Huffington Post. ‘They were scrambling around the room to inspect every little detail and were excitedly showing their peers what they discovered.’
That, of course, made it all worth it.
‘I really love what I do, and I love the students I get to work with. I want them to feel like my class is a place they are excited about going to and to have fun learning,’ he said.
Where’s our acceptance letter? The impressive work has gone viral since he shared it on Facebook
Lots to put out: He even lined the cabinets with other small toys
These cute figurines of Harry and the gang sit atop one shelf
Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure! By the robes on his chair, the teacher appears to fancy himself a Ravenclaw
Incendio! He put what appear to be flameless candles all around
‘I just wanted to show them a little aspect of my personality to start bridging the connection between teacher and student,’ he said
Speaking to ABC News, he added: ‘I just wanted to show them a little aspect of my personality to start bridging the connection between teacher and student. It’s not just a one-directional relationship where I’m just imparting knowledge onto them, but we can connect as human beings as well.
‘The fact I hear my students wanting to come to my class even when they don’t have my class that period, or poking their head in at lunch, or just excited to come back the next day — that’s the best feeling,’ he went on.
He also noted that his principal and other teachers at the school were excited, and he hopes other educators will follow suit.
‘If that can be my legacy, to inspire other teachers to make their learning environments more fun, that is fine by me,’ he said.