But when students came to class last month, they walked into a Victorian teahouse—set with everything from candles to linen tablecloths.

"They were just dazzled by the spectacle of all this," Avoy said. "It didn't look like a classroom anymore. It looked like a fancy party."

Over winter break in December at Los Gatos High School, Avoy's class was required to read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. The classic novel—more than 450 pages in length—is set during the Victorian Era when tea was one of the meals of the day. As a reward to the students for reading the lengthy book, Avoy decided to bring the words to life by converting her classroom into a high tea party for her Advanced Placement English classes. In other novels such as George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, Avoy said the home environment was a place where people learned to make small talk and refine their speech and manners.

"You were not allowed to have serious conversations at mealtime because it interfered with digestion," Avoy said.

So her students played along, speaking quietly, acting on their best behavior and holding superficial conversations as they sat at tables and mingled with each other. While Avoy said she's produced this activity for past classes, this year in particular her students especially got into character, even dressing up to fit the look of the time period.

"We all enjoyed high tea immensely because it gave us a chance to look stunning and be charming," said senior Sally Stanton. "After Ms. Avoy's lesson on proper etiquette, I think we were all able to be true ladies and gentlemen."

Avoy also taught her students manners, which not all of them knew, such as never opening the mouth while chewing and avoiding picking of the teeth. Avoy said she places importance on allowing her students to have fun as they learn. Avoy also likes to cook, so she incorporated her kitchen talents into teaching.

Using her personal silver tea service to give the room extra ambiance, Avoy supplied herb, English breakfast and Darjeeling teas, as well as sandwiches containing cucumber and watercress, minced ham and chicken and chopped egg. For dessert, there were pecan cookies, cakes and mango scones. But the event wouldn't have been complete without coconut cookies, brownies and lemon squares.

"I baked all of it," said Avoy, with excitement. "I did."

Avoy said many of the items she served were typical of the Victorian era, including fruit punch from her own silver punch bowl.

"Ms. Avoy really outdid herself by making little cookies, sandwiches, and every kind of treat you could imagine," Stanton said. "She is a wonderfully enthusiastic teacher who allows us to look at literature and the cultures in them in creative ways like high tea."

Senior Nathan Swartley, 17, said high tea gave the students a much-needed break from their schoolwork and allowed them to experience something from another culture that they had studied.

"Having Nancy Avoy as a teacher has been really great this year," Swartley said. "She creates a really fun atmosphere in her class, and we do a lot of activities that make the class truly enjoyable."

One of the most amazing parts of the whole experience, Avoy said, was that in her fourth year of serving high tea, none of her 34 cups and saucers—made of fine china—were broken.