Educator finds the perfect recipe for learning

When Damaris Loza set out to make learning more fun, she didn’t just decorate her room, she built a full Whataburger experience that’s gone viral.

Hold the onions, add some adjectives — this Houston, Texas, classroom is cookin’!

From orange stripes to “Order Up” signs, second-grade teacher Damaris Loza has transformed her elementary school classroom into a Whataburger wonderland.

Inside her Klein ISD classroom, burger-themed cubbies, menu-inspired signs, and clever ketchup décor turn everyday lessons into a full meal of fun and motivation. Her table tent mirror affirmations help the kids practice self confidence in both Spanish and English, while her classroom “fridge” — a Whataburger-themed photo wall — celebrates their smiles and achievements throughout the year.

"When I first started this, all my co-workers were like, Please calm down," Loza said with a laugh. "They were like, OK, not everything needs to be Whataburger themed. I was like, Yes, yes it does."

At just 26 years old, Loza has already been teaching for six years, bringing the same care and enthusiasm to her classroom that Whataburger team members bring to every shift. She says the response from students and parents alike has been “nothing but love.” Loza's classroom went viral on TikTok after she posted a classroom tour that had fans craving fries and applauding her A+ Whataburger spirit.

"I told my colleagues, Don't worry — we will have fun in this room, but they will learn,” and as of right now, my kids’ grades are the highest in their grade level. I'm like, You see? We will have fun, but we will grow."

With every lesson, Loza is serving up more than academics; she’s helping create life-long fans of learning, kindness and Goodness 24/7 every day.