Monet in the Classroom: Frisco Teacher Turns Art Room into Living Masterpiece

At Newman Elementary in Frisco, a classroom looks like a Monet painting, complete with a water‑lily pond that seems to glow when the light hits it.

The exterior of the room already hints at the French painter Claude Monet, with soft green vines and pastel signage that invite students to explore art history.

Inside, the walls are a living canvas: Noel has painted her classroom to mimic a Monet masterpiece, turning the space into an immersive art experience.

To deepen the lesson, she dressed up as Monet himself, standing beside the painted walls and answering questions about the artist’s life and techniques.

“It is important for students to understand the why behind the art and any struggles, insecurities, or obstacles the artists dealt with in their careers. Learning how others overcame the insecurities and struggles is very important,” Noel told NBC 5 in an email from Frisco ISD.

The veteran teacher conceived the idea during the summer break, then worked to secure supplies that would allow 650 students to participate in the project.

Other schools in Frisco ISD stepped up by providing easels for her kindergarteners through fifth graders, enabling them to create their own works of art.

The transformation required several weekends of painting the walls, followed by four days over Thanksgiving break to hang the finished pieces and set up the classroom.

Noel’s email notes that the process left her with hot‑glue burns from hanging the sky and walls, but the effort was worth every moment.

“When students walk into the room for the first time, my heart melts because their eyes get huge and they are overwhelmed by it all! When one of my kindergarteners said, ‘This is the best day of my life’ when he walked in, I knew the planning, weekends up at school, and hot glue burns from hanging the sky and walls were all worth it. I love my job and simply want to make an impact on the students I teach,” Noel said.

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Key Takeaways

• Monica Noel turned a Newman Elementary classroom into a Monet‑inspired art studio for 650 students.
• The project involved weeks of painting, easels from partner schools, and hands‑on student creation.
• Students reacted with awe, and Noel’s passion for teaching shines through every detail of the classroom.