Going Beyond Teaching

If Kirwan doesn't mean entrepreneur in some foreign language, it assuredly should.

Dimity Kirwan, 27, is a 2002 graduate of Wilton High School and she loves teaching. As a teacher herself, though, Kirwan realizes how much sacrifice that profession can require.

With teaching jobs evermore elusive in the current economic climate, and with salaries in the field low to begin with, it is a frequent occurrence that the very people tasked with helping others build their futures are unsure about their own. 

That fact bugged Kirwan. And she decided to do something about it.

With the help of a $10,000 grant through women's clothing company Jones New York and their empowerment fund, and furthered by what funds were left out of her teacher's salary, Kirwan launched her own online business called "Beyond Teaching" this past January.

"It connects parents seeking childcare and tutoring services with certified teachers and those pursuing certification," Kirwan said of her company. "It was started to empower educators to supplement their income outside of the classroom while helping parents find educare."

In short, Kirwan has set up an eruditional matchmaking service. Teachers can register on the site for free and advertise their services, while parents pay fairly nominal fees to gain access to the site's trove of high quality educators. 

Kirwan is particularly proud of her endeavor because of its far-reaching effects. In addition to helping parents find vetted educational childcare and helping enhance kids' learning, it allows teachers to supplement their incomes while plying their trade and honing their skills. That was, in fact, the company's genesis.

"I could never find these kinds of jobs," Kirwan said. "And that's why I started it. It's such a good way to supplement your income as a teacher and working with kids one-on-one or in small groups is ideal. That's my favorite kind of teaching...those moments when you are working with a student and you actually get to witness the learning and growth take place on a regular basis."

Kirwan ought to know about the rigors and rewards of teaching, as she is both a Teach for America alumna and a New York City educator. Those experiences, she said, clearly demonstrated the need for a service like Beyond Teaching.

"A few years ago, there was an educational hiring freeze and there were no new jobs," Kirwan said. "That's still true to an extent. And so [Beyond Teaching] is a great chance for teachers who need work to earn extra money and to put their skills to use. It's also great because, especially when you move to a new city and you don't have a network of parents [for whom you usually work], it can help you get those references and make those connections."

At present, Beyond Teaching has almost 300 teachers in the Connecticut/New York City area signed up. Kirwan said she is working closely with Teach for America and Mommy's Links, among other organizations, to spread the word among the teaching community and interested parents.

Her hope is to grow her business to the point that she can pair teachers and parents all over the country, and she also has ambitions of expanding its offerings to lower-income areas.

"After working as a public school teacher for the past three years, I'm incredibly aware of the need for students in low-income areas to have access to these kinds of services," Kirwan said. "Generally, families in low-incomes areas simply can't afford a service like this even though they are the ones who need it. It would be great if in the future Beyond Teaching could develop a volunteer or not-for-profit branch that enables teachers to provide this degree of extra help to students who really need it. But that's really looking into the future."

For now, Kirwan is devoting herself to promoting her site and growing it into a viable, sustainable business. She admits it has been a challenge juggling her dual career as a teacher and an entrepreneur and acclimating herself in the business world, with which she is less familiar.

But she's lucky, too, in that the Kirwan family seems to have something entrepreneurial in their blood. Dimity's twin sister, Emma, also received a grant from Jones New York and launched her own nonprofit organization, Peaks Over Poverty, with the funds.

Plus, Kirwan got some help from her hometown. She credits some of her Wilton High School teachers with instilling good values and a love of learning in her at a young age. Those qualities have allowed her not only to become a great teacher in her own right, but to help other teachers maximize their potential and achieve successful, sustainable careers as well.

"In general, teaching has made me appreciate the teachers that I had," Kirwan said. "I was stimulated by the classes that were discussion-based. Mrs. Henry was amazing and always stuck out in my mind because her classes were just so rich. It was like a college classroom. And Mr. Delzell, my math teacher, was more traditional. But I spent every single free period with him working my butt off. And between the two of them, I've taken them into my teaching career and they've really informed and helped me."

At present, Beyond Teaching is offering special summertime rates, which Kirwan hopes will be particularly attractive considering the need for both childcare and educational opportunities during the dog days. She says the demand and the need are there, it is now a matter of getting the word out.

"I can't imagine there wouldn't be a market for this," Kirwan said. "I know several parents that only hire teachers to take care of their kids. Why would you hire a teenager from down the road who's going to sit and watch TV when you can hire a teacher who will make that time into a learning experience? It just makes sense."

The idea does make sense for parents, teachers and students alike. Time will tell if it makes cents for Kirwan, too.

She can be contacted at gobeyondteaching@gmail.com and more information is available at www.gobeyondteaching.com.