How The Classroom Corner Began...
The Classroom Corner began in 2016 as a hobby born from a love of teaching and creating.
Back when I was a fourth-grade teacher, my school’s reading specialist handed me an ELA resource to use with my class. It was helpful—but what really caught my eye was the adorable border on the page. When I asked where she found it, she told me she made it herself. I was immediately intrigued and through talking to her, learned that she was a teacher-seller on Teachers Pay Teachers.
That same night, I went home, told my (now) husband all about it, opened a Teachers Pay Teachers account, searched for free clipart and fonts, bought Microsoft PowerPoint, and started playing around. I had no idea what I was doing—but I was hooked. What started as a few simple resources quickly turned into a full-blown passion project.
Finding the Spark
As I continued creating—and as more teachers started using and loving my materials—I realized I wanted to do more… and do it better.
If I wanted to make high-quality, eye-catching, and engaging resources—ones I’d be proud for others to use in their classroom—I needed to invest in the tools that would bring my ideas to life. I began purchasing fonts and clipart that truly inspired me, and that one simple shift changed everything.
Each design decision, layout, and color palette sparked a creative joy that reminded me why I fell in love with teaching in the first place. I found myself imagining the classroom moments these resources would support: students settling in with colorful and festive good morning slides, parents feeling welcomed by polished open house presentations, and classrooms brightened with decor that felt both fun and functional.
The Classroom Corner grew from a love of teaching, design, color, and helping teachers feel organized and inspired. While my style and products have evolved, the heart behind it has stayed the same: to create classroom resources that are as joyful to use as they are helpful.
Meet the Creator
Hi There! I'm Dana, the Creator behind The Classroom Corner. For the past 11 years, I've had the pleasure of teaching hundreds of students in third, fourth, and fifth grade, with fifth grade being my most recent (and favorite) role before life took an exciting turn...!
My husband and I welcomed our first baby girl a year and a half ago. After taking a one-year leave of absence from my teaching position, I made the heartfelt decision to step away from my teaching career to be present with my sweet girl during these very special early years.
While I'm no longer teaching in the classroom, my love for education and creating classroom resources hasn't changed.
Creating resources keeps me inspired and motivated because I know that even if I’m not using them myself, they’ll make a difference for other teachers and their students. It’s a way for me to keep contributing to something I love, from home.
I love designing resources with bright colors, fun clipart, and eye-catching designs. I believe that students notice and respond to color and creativity, and having engaging visuals makes a difference in both teacher and student excitement and engagement.
When you open something I’ve made, my hope is that you think, “This is awesome—it's exactly what I need for...” Because that’s exactly what I’m aiming for: resources made by a teacher who knows what it’s like and wants to make your day a little easier and a lot more colorful!
A Little Bit About Me
GREY BREASTED MOUNTAIN TOUCAN | PHOTOGRAPHED IN COLOMBIA
We share all our bird photography on Instagram! Check us out at NEBIRDS
Bird Nerd
My husband and I both share a love and interest in birds and bird photography. My love for birds started way back, when I was 7 years old, and continues to this day. My husband got into birding after we started dating. It's definitely been a very cool hobby to share!
Our love for birds has taken us all over- mainly to Central and South America to go on week-long bird photography tours. We've seen over 700 species of birds in all, and always get so excited when we see a new "lifer" (new life list bird!)
Whenever we go on a birding trip, our "target" birds always include toucans, tanagers, and hummingbirds because they are... you guessed it... SO COLORFUL! We also love owls- it's so fun to go out looking for them at night!
Travel Obsessed
The first time I ever traveled outside of the Northeast was when I went to Florida in my early twenties. I was most definitely bit by the travel bug while I was there, because I became obsessed with traveling & going on vacations afterwards.
Before becoming parents, my (now) husband and I were avid travelers. We've traveled to some truly incredibly places- like Thailand, Bali (where we got engaged!), Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Costa Rica, and more.
One of our favorite trips to this day was our trip to Phuket, Thailand. We went birdwatching while we were and went on a tour to see Phi Phi Island, Bamboo Island, and more. I've been dreaming of going back to Thailand ever since.
PHI PHI ISLAND, THAILAND
MOST RECENT 5TH GRADE LIBRARY
Children's Literature Lover
I absolutely LOVE books, specifically children's literature. Interestingly enough, my store name- The Classroom Corner, comes from my favorite part of my classroom- the corner where my classroom library is. I take great pride in creating a welcoming, cozy, and highly-organized classroom library filled with high-quality children's literature that everyone can enjoy!
I'm pretty much always on the lookout for NEW books published during the current year that I can use for a whole-class read aloud or as a new book club book. I love sharing NEW books with students that they have not heard of or read before.
My classroom library is, and always has been, my favorite part of my classroom. I love knowing my library is filled with high quality picture books and novels for students to enjoy in a colorful and organized space. Shout-out to Michaels and Lakeshore Learning for the BEST, high-quality, durable book bins!
Thank
You!
Thank you for stopping by The Classroom Corner! I'm SO glad you’re here, and hope the resources and tools found here can help you create a classroom that’s vibrant, welcoming, and organized—with a little extra color and creativity, of course!