I’ve had a lot of jobs in my life. Sold lumber. Sold paint. Drove more miles across Texas than I can count. Somewhere along the way I realized the gas station coffee wasn’t getting any better and I was missing too much time with my girls. That’s when I went back to school, got my degree, and found myself in classrooms instead of on highways.
At first I subbed. One day you’re helping first graders glue macaroni to paper, the next you’re trying to convince teenagers that algebra isn’t out to ruin their lives. Subbing teaches you two things real quick: stay flexible and listen before you talk. Later I taught special education students, then adults in vocational programs. Different ages, different goals, but the same truth. People want to feel capable.
These days I coach. Coaching isn’t just about homework. It’s about figuring out how someone learns. Some need to say it out loud. Some need to see it on paper. Some need to slow down and breathe before they even start. My job is to meet them where they are and keep them from feeling silly for not knowing something yet. Nobody should feel small because they’re still learning.
Living in the Hill Country, I know life gets busy. Kids have chores and long bus rides. Adults have families and jobs that don’t leave much energy for studying at night. School doesn’t happen in a bubble. Real life always wins. My role is to make schoolwork fit around life, not the other way around. A little structure, a few good habits, and suddenly the load feels lighter. Around here, if you can carry a sack of feed, you can carry a binder. You just need to know how to hold it right.
People ask me the difference between tutoring and coaching. Tutoring usually sticks to one subject. Coaching takes in the whole picture. Do you know how to study without just rereading? Can you stay organized? What do you do when you hit a wall? We work on those things, because once you know how to handle frustration, math or English or anything else gets easier. And let me tell you, learning how to handle frustration is a skill that comes in handy whether you’re facing fractions or trying to get your old truck to start on a cold morning.
Some of my favorite moments aren’t flashy. A kid who thought math hated him finishes a page of problems and can’t stop smiling. A high schooler who always lost her papers pulls out a neat folder like she’s been doing it forever. An adult passes a test and finally believes she has options again. Those days remind me why I chose this path. They also remind me that sometimes progress looks small, like finding your pencil right where you left it instead of under the dog.
I’m retired now, and coaching gives me a way to stay connected to people. I keep things steady, a little lighthearted, and always patient. If you see me smiling, chances are someone just had their lightbulb moment. That’s the part I love most. And if I wink, well, that’s just me being me. Life’s too short not to laugh when the chickens cross the road, even if they never do tell you why.