VERO BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Teacher Feature is sponsored by Kogan & DiSalvo.

CBS12 News’ next “Teacher Feature” from the School District of Indian River County creates a sense of wonder in her classroom by turning lessons into immersive, hands-on experiences that make learning come alive for her students.

Emily Odom teaches 5th-grade science at Indian River Academy in Vero Beach. She has been a teacher for 16 years, five of those at IRA.

Ms. Odom’s classroom is a place where curiosity is celebrated, questions are encouraged, and students develop a genuine love for science.

“I’m very fortunate because our district provides us with curriculum and a lot of support to help get me where I am. I take what they give us, and I mold it to meet my kids’ needs,” said Odom. “I know that my kids need those hands-on activities to understand their learning and make it more concrete. So, I really try to incorporate that a lot, whether it’s through activities like this, or through the use of the 3D printer that we have in our room to build those that concrete knowledge.”

Odom brings a lot of enthusiasm to teaching and says it’s important to show her students that she’s also excited about what she’s teaching.

“Because if I care, then they care. So, we feed off of each other, right? We’re in this like symbiotic relationship, where we feel how each other feels,” said Odom. “It’s really important, like I said, they have fun when I have fun, and sometimes the fun doesn’t work out like we anticipate, and that leads to a lot of laughter, but that’s okay, because that leads to even deeper thought.”

Odom also has live animals in her classroom that she incorporates into her science curriculum.

“I love animals. That’s always been a passion of mine since I was a child. Actually, I worked at the zoo briefly in Jackson, Mississippi, and we have Axolotls that my students last year earned due to test scores and working really hard,” said Odom. “That was a big incentive for them. This year we gained some little aquatic frogs. So, they’re really great because they add to when we study life cycles and metamorphosis, they’re able to actually see it in process, instead of just looking at a book.”

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Odom says teaching 5th graders is also preparing them for a big milestone: middle school.

“Everything they do and say matters, so what they put in they get they get back out, whether it’s a job or if it’s life or whatnot. If I can send these kids out and they have that rudimentary understanding of what they need to and they can become productive citizens of our society one day, then I’ve done my job,” said Odom.

Odom’s classroom isn’t decorated like a traditional classroom. It’s incredibly cozy and inviting.

She says she wants her classroom to be a welcoming space and for her students to know it’s just as much their room as hers. That’s why she incorporates things like LED lights and smiley faces she knows her students will like.