The time isn’t right quite yet, but I’ll soon be finished with my second career.

In December 2010, I started researching second jobs. I was a part time receptionist but needed to make some extra money without investing a lot of extra time. I never really considered a life of crime so robbing a bank was out, as were other more nefarious options.

Somehow I came across a website that offered tutoring services for a variety of subjects, and they needed tutors. After more research I realized I could do this. I was still homeschooling my youngest son at the time, but I knew a bit about a variety of subjects so I thought I’d give it a shot. After taking a bunch of subject knowledge tests on their website, I signed on with WyzAnt to be a tutor.

I set up my profile, selected which subjects I wanted to offer, picked my hourly fee, and sent it live to the WyzAnt website. They did the rest. It was one of the best spur of the moment decisions I have ever made.

For the last 8 plus years I’ve tutored many, many students…as young as 3rd grade and as old as a guy who wanted to learn Microsoft Office computer skills to get a better job. I’ve tutored a young high school drop out who was working to get her GED and a high school junior studying for her ACT who probably should have been tutoring me.

Though I qualified to tutor over 20 different subjects, most of my students needed assistance in math (of some sort) or preparation for their ACT. I’ve taught elementary girls discouraged over learning multiplication facts to Division 1 athletes and scholars who wanted to increase their ACT scores by five points – all needed the same thing. Someone to believe in them, to cheer them on, to tell them “you can do it!” And even when I don’t know the subject matter as well (Algebra 2 – yuck), I can always encourage someone to dig deep, work hard and be successful. I only had one student (actually, her mom) come back and ask for a refund. Let’s just say it was a mutual decision not to continue our tutoring relationship. That particular student didn’t need a cheerleader.

But the vast majority – 99.9% – were amazing kids. Each one holds a special place in my heart and I can recall wonderful stories about our times together. I loved seeing the light bulb go off when they “got it” or a text from their mom saying they jumped 8 points in their ACT. I bonded with each one, loved working with them, helping them reach their goals. Sometimes we met once, twice, three times – a few students I had over the course of a year, and two or three I continued into a 2nd year. I’ve kept up with some of them into college. The beauty of social media. My current student is in 5th grade and we started when she was a little 3rd grader. When she’s ready to move on without a tutor, I’ll retire.

But tonight, she still needs me. We’ll play math games, review multiplication and division, learn some more tips and tricks on adding and subtracting fractions…and I’ll listen to her tell me about her day, her friends, her wise view of life as a 5th grade girl. She’ll wiggle in her chair, drop her pencil, jump up and show me her latest ballet move. And I’ll laugh with her, and think about how much my life has been enriched because I took a little side job 8 years ago.