Introduction to a Disney Teacher
In the early, chaotic days of the COVID-19 pandemic, transitional-kindergarten teacher Elizabeth Lam despaired. She saw distracted faces when she gazed across the virtual divide to her students learning at home. So she offered comfort. Lam donned a set of Minnie Mouse ears. Four-year-old students who might struggle with 2+2 or writing their names could focus on M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. “They became curious and engaged,” Lam said. “And they were ready to learn.” Lam became synonymous with the ears and was dubbed the “Disney teacher” on campus. She collected and kept more than 30 pairs in her classroom. Some were purchased to mark personal milestones, such as completing her 200th half marathon; others were gifted by students.
The Loss of Memories
On Jan. 7, they were all incinerated, along with most of Palisades Charter Elementary School, by the Palisades fire. As the blaze bore down on her campus, Lam initially tried to save a few pairs of ears, but she ultimately set them aside in order to hold the hands of her most frightened students, some frozen in fear, as they evacuated the school. The historic fire killed at least 12 Pacific Palisades residents, burned 23,448 acres and destroyed more than 6,800 structures. Palisades Charter Elementary students, teachers and staff relocated to Brentwood Science Magnet. Along with structures, the fire also took small things, like the Minnie ears and the memories they evoked.
So We Could Be Twins
There was the Little Mermaid pair — two purple seashells with a turquoise bow in between that mimicked Ariel’s tail. They were gifted by one of Lam’s former students, who bought them during a family summer trip to DisneySea theme park in Tokyo. “These were extra special because she bought herself a matching set of ears so we could be twins,” Lam said. A few years earlier, a parent purchased a set of ears in traditional black as a Christmas gift for Lam. The parent handed a white marker to her daughter, a student in Lam’s class. The child wrote on the ears: “Mrs. Lam, I love you.” The teacher wore the headpiece for years. That student occasionally popped by her class to examine how her handwriting, but not her sentiment, had changed. Lam “oozes Disney magic” in her classroom, often wearing those Minnie ears while strolling through the halls, said Palisades Charter Principal Juliet Herman.
To Find Her, Look for the Ears
For Lam, friendships, success and milestones have been measured in Minnie ears. She treasured a set she purchased after the completion of the Disney Halloween Half Marathon last fall, her 200th such competition. They were a plain set of black vinyl ears, but she and her son waited seven hours for a California Adventure designer to customize and dry them before they could be worn. The employee wrote “runDisney Mom” on one ear and “200th half marathon” on the other. Three Disney balloons were drawn to represent her family, along with Disney fireworks. Evan Lam, who aspires to study medicine at UC Irvine, often acts as his mom’s Disney ears style arbiter. The 17-year-old’s amused advice: “Wear something that doesn’t look bad.”
Dropping Ears, Grabbing Hands
On Jan. 6, Lam and Palisades Charter returned to instruction after a three-week winter break. She brought along a bag of 30-plus mouse ears to class. Individual students would select which set would be worn each week; several were new to them. The next day, the winds were fierce and Lam, her students and her teaching assistant spent recess and lunch inside. Investigators believe the Palisades fire ignited around 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 near a popular hiking trail just southeast of Palisades Drive. The flames spread rapidly. By noon, Topanga Canyon Boulevard and areas west of Merrimac Road had been evacuated. The fire consumed 772 acres by 2:11 p.m., eventually torching Topanga Canyon State Park. By 6:17 p.m., it had become an unstoppable force, devouring nearly 3,000 acres.
Lend Me Your Ears
Like Lam, Keiser is known for her ears. Keiser could most easily be spotted among the roughly 47,000 daily Disneyland visitors by looking for her custom-created black-and-purple Maleficent horns, based on the iconic “Sleeping Beauty” villain. She found the horns at Walgreens in 2016 and hot-glued a Hot Topic bow in the center. Lam, whose mother died five years ago from complications related to multiple sclerosis, found a kindred spirit in Keiser. They spoke daily in the immediate aftermath of the blaze. “She was distraught,” Keiser said. “She thought, ‘How am I going to be the Disney teacher without my Disney stuff?’” Shortly after their first conversation, Keiser asked her thousands of Facebook followers if they could help replace the missing ears. “Disney fans are hoarders of extraordinary stuff, and I thought to myself, I have lot of ears that I’ve bought over the years,” Keiser said. “I could give her some and see what the others think.”
Fairy Gothmother
The fan response ignited in Keiser a philanthropic urge. Days before she dropped off the hats, she founded the Fairy Gothmother Project. The crowdsourcing venture aims to find victims of the Eaton and Palisades blazes who had lost Disney mementos. Applicants to the Fairy Gothmother Project have asked for ears, hats, spirit jerseys and Loungefly backpacks to be replaced. Keiser and her army responded with a Mickey Sorcerer mini-backpack, pink spirit jersey and Mickey band hat on Feb. 8, a Christmas spirit jersey and matching Mickey and Minnie ears along with a Haunted Mansion crow on Feb. 26, and a Remy key chain and a pair of Anaheim Ducks ears on March 6. “The people impacted by the L.A. fires lost everything,” Keiser said. “Giving them a piece of the magic, of our magic, is probably the most meaningful and special thing we can do with our Disney merchandise hoards.”
A Mickey Mouse Refuge
About a week later, Lam received another shipment from Keiser that included large Mickey and Minnie cutouts, a Mickey door decoration and a Disney border decoration crowdfunded via the Fairy Gothmother Project. They now decorate her temporary classroom in a bungalow at Brentwood Science Magnet. In some ways, Lam’s classroom has become an oasis for her group of 4- and 5-year-olds traumatized by fire and destruction. It’s a slimmed-down Happiest Place on Earth, with Disney ornaments and stickers interspersed among shapes, colors and numbers. When the students struggle to describe their weekend or draw pictures of their pets, Mickey serves as a ready substitute. “They’ll draw Mickey and Minnie when they can’t quite describe what they’re feeling or thinking,” Lam said on a recent morning, donning a pair of Disney Halloween-themed ears. “They can always relate to them.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, the story of Elizabeth Lam and her Minnie Mouse ears is a heartwarming tale of how a simple gesture can bring comfort and joy to students in times of need. The loss of her beloved ears in the Palisades fire was a devastating blow, but the kindness of strangers, led by Rosie Keiser, helped to replace them and bring a sense of normalcy back to her classroom. The Fairy Gothmother Project is a testament to the power of community and the impact that small acts of kindness can have on those affected by tragedy.
FAQs
Q: What inspired Elizabeth Lam to wear Minnie Mouse ears in her classroom?
A: Lam donned the ears during the COVID-19 pandemic to bring comfort and engagement to her students learning at home.
Q: How many pairs of Minnie Mouse ears did Lam have before the Palisades fire?
A: Lam had more than 30 pairs of Minnie Mouse ears, which were either purchased or gifted by students.
Q: What is the Fairy Gothmother Project?
A: The Fairy Gothmother Project is a crowdsourcing venture founded by Rosie Keiser to replace Disney mementos lost by victims of the Eaton and Palisades blazes.
Q: How has the Fairy Gothmother Project helped Lam and her students?
A: The project has provided Lam with replacement Minnie Mouse ears and other Disney decorations for her temporary classroom, creating a sense of normalcy and comfort for her students.
Q: What is the significance of Mickey Mouse in Lam’s classroom?
A: Mickey Mouse serves as a symbol of comfort and familiarity for Lam’s students, who often draw pictures of him when they struggle to express their feelings or thoughts.
