After the birth of her first child, Anne Thomas is getting back in the driver’s seat, literally, with a special needs tutoring business on wheels.
Our celebration of Women’s Small Business Month is in its last week, and we wind things down with a woman who is winding things up; or, to take the pun to its natural place — gassing things up.
A former teacher with a focus on special needs education, Anne has brought to the DC area Ms. Anne’s Class, a resource program in a souped up RV that she drives to her students homes for camper-based one-on-one tutoring.
In its infancy (like her daughter!), Ms. Anne’s Classroom has brought Anne Thomas into the circle of women’s small businesses. We welcomed her and her bright idea and sat down with her to ask her a few questions in celebration.
Why did you decide to start your business? What has the experience been like? Had you ever owned a business before?
In September of 2013 I became a mom to my amazing daughter, Lily. After maternity leave, I went back to my job as a classroom teacher at a special needs school, which I loved. Unfortunately, the hour-long commute, exhaustion of caring for a new baby, and the stresses of being a new, full-time working mom took a toll on me and my ability to give 100% to both my family and my job. Not wanting to give up teaching, but needing a change, I decided to do something that I never imagined myself doing… starting my own business.
Ms. Anne’s Class is a special education resource program that provides individualized, one-on-one support to elementary-aged students with special needs, those with learning disabilities and students performing below grade level, in the Alexandria, Arlington and Falls Church areas of Northern Virginia.
Starting Ms. Anne’s Class has allowed me to create my own schedule, giving me greater flexibility and more time with my daughter and family, which has been such a gift. I get to be both a stay-at-home mom and a working mom. It has really been the best of both worlds.
By creating Ms. Anne’s Class I have been able to continue teaching special education and do what I love the most, that is, working one-on-one with students. I designed Ms. Anne’s Class to be a program where each child is given the attention, support and instruction that I believe is so important for students with special needs, in order to meet his or her specific needs and achieve their individualized goals.
One of my favorite things about Ms. Anne’s Class is my mobile classroom. As a classroom teacher I loved creating an organized and inviting space where my students and I could learn. I was sad that I would have to give that up, until I realized I didn’t have to. Instead, I created a classroom…on wheels. Not only do I get to continue to have a classroom, the RV provides a unique, fun, and calm environment for learning. It has the materials and resources found in a typical classroom, but lets me work with students at their home without the distractions.
Starting my own business has been many things, but it certainly has not been easy. One of the most difficult things for me has been having the confidence (in myself and the program) needed to market and grow Ms. Anne’s Class. Being self-employed, though, means no one is going to do it for me; so, I got out there and net. I joined a couple of women’s entrepreneurial groups, meet with other education professionals and go to networking events. I’ve done things that I’ve never done before, such as creating a business plan, building a website, designing brochures, using PayPal and joining Twitter. I’ve also gotten quite good at driving an RV!
While Ms. Anne’s Class is still in its early stages, I have already learned so much about starting a business. As fun as it has been getting started, I am looking forward to getting new students and doing what I love most and do best, teaching.
Do you believe that you are setting an example for your daughter?
I hope that if Lily sees me and other important people in her life doing what they believe in and what they love, then she will do the same. I want her to be able to think outside the box, not be afraid to try new things, take some risks, and have confidence while doing it.
