Education & Classes in Aldine

Operating under a new owner since January 2012, Spencer School of Real Estate helps aspiring and current real-estate agents and mortgage professionals develop their craft with online coursework and classroom coursework at an array of campuses. In addition to a background in real-estate brokerage, owner Bobby Bryant brings his two masters degrees in education to the school. Instructors aim to cap class sizes at 12 students so they can soak up lots of one-on-one attention, letting them get details specific to their intended career concentration and finally get an answer about the difference between a foyer and an entryway.

It's not easy to take over for a guy like Allen Darnel, a 55-year ballroom-dance veteran who taught celebrities such as Zsa Zsa Gabor and Aldous Huxley. But now W. Michael Smith and Enrique Baez-Trevino are cutting in on the recently retired Beginners Only Social Ballroom & Latin Dance Studio founder's waltz, and they have impressive resumés of their own to brandish. Baez-Trevino has studied under prominent trainers since he was 13, and Smith has trained in both theater and broadcasting, a background he believes helps him give clear instructions to his students. These two masters lead 45-minute private lessons for individuals, couples, and groups of eight or fewer, sharing their knowledge of swing, salsa, and the tango in private rooms. The schedule is unusually flexible, with lessons available seven days a week all the way until 10 p.m.

In a world that's constantly shrinking due to communication technology, the ease of travel, and a mad scientist's reduction beam, bilingual people have a distinct advantage over single-language speakers. Futura Language Professionals embraces this development and prepares its students to tackle international affairs through schools scattered from Minnesota to Florida, offering accessible language courses with a special emphasis on Spanish. Degreed, native-speaking teachers lead classes with a balance of vocabulary and cultural lessons on music, art, and food. Summer camps and afterschool programs await students ages 3–12, whereas adults can hone their communication savvy in classes designed for business conversations, allowing expansion into overseas markets and more successful collaboration when making amusement parks on the moon.

"I believe art isn't just hanging on the walls—it is all around you in everyday life," says The Artist Within founder Thomas Cleveland. This affinity for art was established when Cleveland was only 5, and it has grown as he has garnered various awards and done commissioned work for Nickelodeon and Coca-Cola. Cleveland helps students develop their own artistic style as they learn pastel-painting techniques in summer camp or use mixed media to illustrate their disdain for yard work.