Palisades "Disney Teacher" who lost classroom during wildfire hopes to rebuild, help students heal

Residents in the Pacific Palisades weren't the only ones who lost everything. With schools also destroyed, many teachers also lost their livelihoods.

One year later, CBS LA reconnected with a woman known as "The Disney Teacher" to see how she's been rebuilding her life.

"This classroom represents a lot of love," said Transitional Kindergarten Teacher Elizabeth Lam.

CBS LA reporter Rina Nakano first met Lam a few days after the fire destroyed her beloved Disneyland-themed classroom at Palisades Elementary. She was setting up her new temporary space at Brentwood Science Magnet School.

"It was the entire community that helped me rebuild," Lam said.

Friends, fellow Disney fans and even strangers sent donations to help bring back a sense of normalcy. But since the fire, she's adjusted her lessons to include more hands-on, building projects.

"A lot of therapy-type activities because they're able to draw out their feelings," she said

Feelings, her 4- and 5-year-old students don't quite know how to express yet, but with these building activities, she said, you can see their confidence start to shine through.

Standing next to the school several months later, Lam recalled the exact blueprint of her now invisible classroom, as if it still stands.

"That corner over here is where I would keep my technology table and that's where I had all my pencil cases," Lam said.

Lam was able to save Minnie Mouse Cookie Jars, given by her late mom and a Mickey Mouse mug gifted from a former student. Those were the only items any teacher at the school was able to save before the demolition.

Lam said she couldn't bring herself to clean them until just recently.

"It was emotional because I feel like part of washing it off was washing off some of the memories," Lam said.

Because she lives two hours away, Lam said she spends more time in her classroom than in her own home. That's why "TK Land" is where she put most of her favorite things, including her Disney collection, her mother's teaching materials and her son's treasure box.

"I'm not really sure yet how I'll put it together," Lam said. "I think it needs some love and clay."

Piece by piece, these ceramics will come together, so will the school and eventually the whole town.

Lam said recovery doesn't happen overnight and that healing is a process, but little by little, she's finding hope.

"You can start to see things coming back in a different way," Lam said. "It's never going to be the same and not every day is easy, but there are smiles to be found."