Teacher Had Each Student Draw Her a Heart. On Valentine's Day, She Gave Them the Best Surprise (Exclusive)

Recently, teacher Sydney Natysin asked each of her elementary school students to draw her a heart, giving them each a blank piece of paper and a black marker.

"I didn't tell them what it was for," Natysin, 24, of northern Virginia, tells PEOPLE exclusively. "Instead I said it was a surprise."

Later, Natysin created a picture of all the hearts and uploaded it via app to her Cricut, which printed an iron-on-vinyl she was able to transfer onto a sweatshirt. "I also put the school year on the sleeve to remind myself it was my first year's hearts," she adds.

Natysin documented the process on TikTok, where it's since gone viral with more than 1.8 million views.

"I love making TikToks and sharing ideas about crafts I make," she says. For this piece in particular, "I saw inspiration online and turned it into my own! I love making one-of-a-kind creations with my Cricut."

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When Natysin wore the shirt to school ahead of Valentine's Day, "at first, [the students] didn't even realize it was their hearts," she shares. "I think they were amazed that I could make something like that."

Eventually, "I asked them if they noticed anything about my sweatshirt and then it hit them. They were so excited and asked so many questions about how I did it."

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Her comments were flooded with kind words, with some "sharing how loved my students must be and how much they wish I was their teacher," Natysin says. "It makes my heart warm to know I'm doing something right in my first year of teaching. Especially when this job can be very overwhelming."

Going forward, Natysin plans to wear the sweatshirt again, and hopefully make one for each year and collect them. "I saw a comment that said when I retire, I can compile all of the sweatshirts and make a quilt out of them," she says. "I thought that was a cute idea."

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"I also made a dress last year and had all of my students sign it," she adds. "I love to wear it on the last day of school."

Natysin hopes that everyone who has seen her video can "take away that sometimes it's the little things that can make your students super happy," she shares. "To show that their work means something and can be made into something bigger."

For her, "it is encouraging to see others compliment what I do," she adds. "I love my job and can't imagine doing anything else."

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