Now, more than ever, we must take the time to express gratitude towards the teachers, tutors, and educators in our community. If you have kids at home, you know the transition from in-person learning to online learning was challenging. Similarly, our educators have years of experience instructing in-person so it is easy to imagine the difficulty of adapting to a new way of teaching.
In addition to the new challenge, educators are facing, the pay rate is constantly less than our educators deserve. ModernWell values the hard work and effort that teachers put into their profession. Joyce Wilson, a retired teacher, blogger, and mentor, wrote this article to share practical side-hustles for teachers and we are happy to share it with our members. If you know a teacher looking to make some money on the side – send this over to them!
Lucrative Side-Hustles for Teachers
Pay rates for teachers have been falling relative to jobs requiring comparable levels of skill. Today, college-educated teachers can make as much as 21 percent less than college-educated workers in other industries. This pay gap is seen by many as grossly unfair, and teachers across the country are taking action to help increase wages. However, if you need money, you can’t just sit around and wait for a pay raise. So, take matters into your own hands by looking into side-hustles — here are several great options.
Start Tutoring
Many people who get into tutoring as a side hustle are college students and post-grads looking for a bit of extra pocket change. As a fully trained, qualified, and employed teacher, you are way ahead of the pack. Thanks to technologies including Skype, you don’t need to find local people, either — you can teach people anywhere in the world from your home.
In fact, as We Are Teachers points out, it might be better to find students further afield, or at least who go to a different school to avoid accusations of favoritism.
Tutoring can fit comfortably around your existing work schedule. Students looking for some extra help will have to do this outside of school hours or on weekends. If you need a designated workspace for your home office, find an area in your home that is free of distractions and faces a window for sunny, uplifting views. If you need to make some modifications to an empty room to make your workspace more functional, don’t hesitate to hire a pro to help you create an area where you can thrive on a daily basis.
Alternatively, you can rent a space at ModernWell where you can comfortably meet with students. Here, you’ll have access to refreshments, high-speed internet, quiet meeting rooms when necessary, a printer station and even free parking.
Sell Your Teaching Resources
As a teacher, you spend a lot of time planning out a curriculum, creating teaching materials, and testing these out in the classroom. Many other teachers, perhaps overloaded with work, would pay good money for well-produced, classroom-tested lesson plans and materials. It’s no surprise then that the entrepreneurial digital culture in which we live has given rise to sites allowing you to do just that. Sites including TeachersPayTeachers and Educents are like eBay for teaching materials. Improve your odds of making a sale by getting a designer to spruce up your materials, as well as putting a bit of effort into marketing.
Find Virtual Assistant Work
There are many temporary and part-time freelance opportunities available for remote workers, which could be ideal for picking up extra cash. For instance, many companies need to hire virtual assistants to perform a variety of tasks, including coordinating meetings and appointments, reading and responding to emails, data entry, and bookkeeping. If you have the necessary skills and experience for virtual assistant work, you can find opportunities through online freelance platforms like Virtual Vocations or Upwork.
Teach Adult Classes
If you have the energy and desire to teach year-round, look into giving adult classes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, adult literacy and high school equivalency diploma teachers make around $25 per hour — if you were employed full-time over the summer or during other breaks, that would add up to a nice supplement to your existing salary. You could also look into teaching night classes a couple of nights each week, which you could also continue year-round.
Start a Blog
If you’ve got plenty to share as an educator and you love to write, consider starting a blog. Blogging has proven to be quite a money-maker for many people, particularly for those who choose to join affiliate programs or accept ads on their sites. While it’s important to be careful about which ads and affiliate programs you choose, reputable sponsors and programs like those offered by Gaiam or Amazon can make it easy to make pretty good money off your site.
Offer Your Editing Skills
If you have a keen eye for detail and you love to read, you could offer book editing services as a freelancer, which can be a great way to boost your bank account. Through online job boards, you can connect with a variety of clients, and you can even choose preferred genres. As you continue to grow this side hustle, be sure to find creative ways to show your work.
Make It Legal
Taking on a side hustle has the potential to grow into a highly profitable business. To ensure you’re compliant with the state and that you’ve got your bases covered with taxes, consider establishing your business as an entity. As an LLC, you’re able to protect your personal assets and you’re eligible for certain tax advantages. Each state has particular requirements, but by handling formation online, you can usually wrap this up in about five steps.
While a side hustle is unlikely to make you a millionaire, it can give you a good solid supplement to your teaching salary. The great thing about some of these suggestions is that they are all teaching-related, so not only are you making extra cash, you’re beefing up your resume, too. This can only help you in your career as you start applying for more senior teaching roles.
Photo: RichVintage – Getty Images
Whether you need a coworking space or a space where you can meet with multiple people or even host retreats, look to ModernWell. Inquire today!