Sawyer partners with hundreds of educators who are stars in their communities. From inspiring class content to engaging teaching styles, these educators are known for their enriching activities that empower both children and parents alike.

We got the opportunity to chat with Anna Tewell, Director of Academic Support at Connections Academics, which offers tutoring and other educational classes to children in Chicago, to learn more about how she started her business and how Sawyer helps her business grow.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! I’d love to hear a bit more about you and why you started your business.

As a former teacher, I started with Connections as a tutor for their Cincinnati team. In 2021, my family got transferred to Chicago with a job change and I decided I wanted to bring Connections with me. I opened our Chicago office in May of 2021 and have been loving bringing fun, engaging and reliable literacy support to the city ever since. Connections, at our heart, is a tutoring company, but I realized  quite quickly into opening our Chicago location, that I missed interacting with students in the way I once had in my Kindergarten classroom. I decided to try out a storytime and craft class and see how it went and Little Book Club, our literacy and sensory class for young readers, was born. Being able to run an education-based  business in a city I love is a dream come true. 

Can you describe an inspiring moment you’ve had as an educator?  

As an educator, I’m inspired by young kids and students daily, but the most special time I’ve had as an educator is the privilege of attending high school graduations for former students. Being able to see the end result of their hard work, and the support I hopefully provided, is priceless. My very first class of 4th graders just graduated this year and to imagine the impact they’ll have on the world, especially as they live on as 4th graders in my mind forever, is just too cool. I’ve never felt more inspired than after watching a high school graduation full of students I’ve taught and knowing that the kids there are our future. We can learn so much from listening to young people! 

What’s the most rewarding thing about teaching children?  

The most rewarding thing about teaching children is getting to be an active participant in their learning and witnessing their wonder. It is so fun to see a little one discover something new, really take to something we’re learning or love a certain story or book we’re reading. We also have many students who return to our class session after session and seeing their growth as they absorb what we’ve learned is amazing. 

What’s one time a child surprised you and made your day?

Recently, I was teaching a class that was the last in a session. A little one who had been in the class for many months surprised me with a handwritten card, complete with fruit stickers, thanking me for class and declaring his love for book club. Nothing better! 

On a similar note, what’s the funniest thing a child has done in your class? 

At the end of our class, we have a sensory bin that is themed to the book we’ve read. Last summer, we had a little one that was enjoying it so much that he took it upon himself to hop right in the bin and sit in the rice. The other kids in class barely noticed and kept on playing with their corner of the bin right over top of him. He wanted the full sensory experience and we fully support that! 

Why is after school/extracurricular enrichment and camp so important for children?  

Extracurricular activities are important for all children. Not only do they allow kids to explore their own interests, but they encourage kids (and adults!) to communicate and socialize, build character and give kids a sense of ownership and purpose. I love being able to provide a space for very young learners to foster their love of reading and think all extracurricular activities tend to do the same.

How do you think children can discover their passions when they’re not in school or your programs? 

I actually think this starts with the adults at home! Encouraging students to follow their own passions starts with adult support. Taking them to the library to research things they love, exploring the city to visit places they are interested in and sharing in the excitement they have over a passion is the best way to support children and encourage new passions. 

What is your favorite Sawyer feature? 

Not a very “fun” feature - but it is SO easy as a business owner to see all of my classes for the week with roster names and numbers on the calendar page. I love that it organizes for me! 

What's one trick you learned from another educator that you still practice? 

I’ve always worked with pretty young children, so sometimes getting a room of little ones to listen can be a feat. A former co-worker taught me to stop the class and have them “turn their ears on” …. The kids LOVE it. They have to pretend to twist the on/off button on their ears and make little sound effects to turn them on. I give them a few second count-down to get their ears on and then have everyone’s attention in a happy, easy way. Works every time! 

Have you discovered new customers on the Sawyer Marketplace?

Sometimes - most of our clients do come from our own marketing, but Sawyer did feature our class this spring on the Chicago home page and that led to a couple new clients! 

How do you balance your time between running your business (from an operational perspective) and teaching/connecting with parents and students? 

Sometimes, I don’t do this well…. And by that, I mean, I love connecting with parents and students so much that I let operational things slide. But, in the end, that’s what clients remember. By connecting with parents and students, you help them feel heard, supported and taken care of. In turn, they trust your business and the operational side of things start to get easier and easier as the business grows. At heart, I’m a teacher with a knack for the business side of things! 

How has Sawyer helped your business? 

Sawyer has helped my business grow! We started off as a robust tutoring business with no class options. Once I found Sawyer, and added our class options there, we were able to organize our classes more thoroughly, collect payment in a more seamless manner and communicate with clients in an easier way. I save a TON of time using Sawyer instead of listing our classes on our website.