<p>Educational technology aims to reimagine the classroom by integrating emerging technologies, traditionally focusing on improving efficiency through method-driven research such as randomised experiments. This narrow approach reinforces what educational sociologist Colin Lacey termed the ‘black box of schooling’, which leaves the complexities of the classroom unexamined. Our paper seeks to shed light on what we call the black box of the future classroom. To move beyond simple input–output models, it is crucial to examine how the classroom changes when emerging technologies are integrated. This study explores how three Estonian secondary-level Chemistry teachers tinker with the classroom environment when integrating VR modules aligned with the national curriculum. Tinkering is an adaptive, open-ended process where teachers modify lesson structures to utilise the affordances of technology. Using short-term ethnography, we observe teachers at two points in time during VR implementation. Our findings show that VR not only changes pedagogical approaches but also reshapes foundational elements of the classroom—time, space, and the teacher’s role—highlighting the transformative potential of emerging technologies in shaping future learning environments.</p>