Most teachers smile for picture day and hope their hair cooperates. Lisa Herring brought a lizard in formal wear.

Herring is a science teacher at McKinley Alternative School in Kokomo. For her official staff portrait she posed with Rango, the class bearded dragon, who showed up dressed in a tiny blue top hat and a matching bow tie. Both of them look completely ready to start the school year.

Her niece posted the picture online and it took off. Within days it had more than 85,000 likes. Commenters all landed on the same thought at once. She is the real-life Miss Frizzle, the wild-haired teacher from "The Magic School Bus" who never went anywhere without her pet lizard.

A famous fan asks for six seasons

Actor Gabourey Sidibe joined the chorus. She wrote that she was obsessed and asked for six full seasons of Herring's cartoon show. Herring said the whole thing is mind-blowing to her. In her words it is just her and her little funny dragon.

The funny part is that she was not a lizard person at first. Roughly two years back her classroom landed a grant for a school pet and the students voted for a bearded dragon. Herring thought he was cute but had zero interest in touching him. Rango slowly won her over anyway.

A wardrobe bigger than most closets

Now he goes home with her on weekends and spends every summer at her house. Last summer he rode around on her shoulder munching bell peppers while she raised 200 lunar moths. Yes, really.

Rango also owns hoodies and holiday outfits. On Halloween he pulled off a midday costume change. Rango started the day dressed as a hot dog and finished it as a fluffy Highland cow.

Herring has now been teaching for nine years. She says a little whimsy goes a long way with kids who are having a hard time. She once built an entire lesson around peppermint patties because they were one struggling student's favorite treat. Her advice to other teachers is simple. Think outside the box and do not be afraid to try it.