We were lucky to catch up with Colleen Markowitz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Colleen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Did you know that CLASS Academics is actually an acronym? It stands for “Creative Learning & Smart Solutions” The name of the business was important to me because I wanted to convey that educating children is not -and should never be- a one-size-fits-all approach. To reach students as individuals, an impactful educator must be willing to implement best teaching practices while making it an engaging and meaningful–all of which relies on the creativity and extensive knowledge that my staff and I possess.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve devoted my entire career to helping children as a credentialed teacher and reading specialist. As a teacher, I’ve been called an angel and a saint; but, the reality is that teaching is no easy feat. Children are the most sincere, honest, and pure beings you will ever encounter; and they will test you, love you, make you laugh, and make you cry. Teaching is not for the faint of heart, but it is the most important work and that is why I do it.

Deciding to be a teacher was an easy decision for me. I love children, I love learning, and I loved school. In fact, I had a wonderful elementary experience, so it’s only natural that I wanted the same for my students when I decided to become an educator.

While in college, I worked for a private academic center where I had the pleasure of working in a 1:1 setting with individuals with various learning needs and challenges. After I graduated with my credential, I substituted a variety of grades which allowed me to better acquaint myself with the different grades and their curriculum, all while mastering my improvisational skills and classroom management. I eventually landed permanent teaching positions teaching kindergarten, first, second, and third grade. I must say that I loved all of these grades, especially kindergarten! The culmination of all of these teaching experiences combined led me to where I am today and for the last thirteen years, I have owned an academic center called Creative Learning & Smart Solutions (CLASS) Academics, located in Huntington Beach.

At CLASS Academics, my talented and caring team and I provide 1:1 and small group academic services to children of all ages in literacy and math. We work with many learners, including those with dyslexia and ADHD. Additionally, we serve homeschool families and work as a preferred vendor with many charter schools.

Our philosophy is simple: treat each child as an individual and provide instruction that taps into their specific learning needs, preferences, and interests; all while implementing research and evidence-based best teaching practices and making the lessons engaging and meaningful. We follow the science and teach using the latest research, pertaining to the science of reading.

We utilize specific approaches and programs that are systematic, direct, and incorporate multi-sensory learning, such as the Wilson Reading System, Orton-Gillingham, and Handwriting Without Tears (to name a few). Additionally, we are big believers in incorporating movement into our lessons, which allows students to activate pathways to maximize learning through coordination, balance, and more!

What I am most proud of is the fact that we get to watch so many of our students grow with confidence. Their self-esteem blossoms and they begin to discover their unique gifts while simultaneously building a solid foundation in literacy and math. It is a pleasure to work with these students and their families, as well as a dream come true to do what I love while owning my own practice.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As I reflect back on my career, I feel like I have lived a thousand lives at this point. The teaching part has always been the easiest and most enjoyable part of my business. However, the business side of things has always involved a learning curve.

My startup story is one that illustrates my resilience and actually starts at the age of 23, when I graduated with my teaching credential and could not find a teaching job due to the 2008 recession. I had to resort to working as a substitute teacher by day, and as a waitress by night. I would literally report to my teaching job at 8am and work until 3pm during the week, then report to my night job from 8pm to 3am on the weekends. Needless to say, I was exhausted, under appreciated, and felt extremely discouraged. Something had to change and I had to take control.

I knew I was driven and had a specific skill-set as a reading teacher, so I started to acquire and build my own clientele as a tutor in order to take control of my career. However, my success didn’t happen overnight. As if I wasn’t tired enough, I decided to pick up tutoring as a third job–between my other jobs.

The tutoring business started in my car, where I would drive from student-to-student with all of my resources and teaching kits in my trunk. But in the end, this work became the most meaningful of all the jobs I had up until that point. I was able to consistently work with the same children, build rapport, and watch their progress and confidence blossom. To add, many of these children were not getting the proper support in their schools, so providing supplemental instruction outside of school was a way to help them build a strong foundation in literacy and math in order to get them caught up.

Within three years, I successfully built a loyal customer base and was completely booked from 4-8pm, Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays. I continued to teach in the classroom, but was able to give up the waitressing job.

By the age of 26, I was still tired, but driven. I decided to take a chance and officially start CLASS Academics in Huntington Beach. The amazing families I worked with fully supported me and followed me to a brick and mortar location, where I was able to break even in my first month and utilize the space to build the business that it is today.

After four years and at the age of 30, I eventually left the classroom to focus solely on my business, while my husband and I decided to start our family. Of course, over time, I have had to deal with other situations that have tested my resilience, such as running a business as a mother of three children and surviving the COVID shutdown, but I suppose that’s a story for another time.

Any advice for managing a team?

First and foremost, it’s important to me that our students and their parents feel welcome and warm when they enter our space at CLASS Academics. That is the first step in establishing trust and rapport–all crucial to a successful learning environment and customer loyalty. In order for this energy to radiate through my business, it starts with my staff. So how do I manage my team and maintain high morale? I believe the secret is allowing myself to celebrate my staff’s unique talents, while giving them space and entrusting them to do their job without micromanaging. I also make it a point to providing support, additional training, and moments to collaborate whenever they feel it is needed.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.classacademics.com
• Instagram: @classacademics
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-markowitz-45349686
• Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/class-academics-tutoring-huntington-beach-2