As I explained in the last post, teachers routinely find themselves struggling financially from paycheck-to-paycheck. This factor may be compounded if you are married to another teacher. Now before you start to chastise and say “You teachers always complain! I wish I had the summer off!”, let me tell you that I am not complaining. None of us get into teaching because it makes us rich.
No you are right, we do get our summers off. Because of that, teachers can benefit from incorporating side hustles into their lives. A side hustle is something that you do in your spare time to help earn extra money. Some side hustles are related to your work and some aren’t. Many teachers coach, teach summer school, and various other things to make a bit more. Some work a second job, while other own their own side business. The truth is, if you want to, there are many ways to make some extra money and become more financially secure.
What are the easiest side hustles for teachers?
Tutoring
Well the easiest side hustle is to do something that you already do, but on the side — tutoring. Especially if you teach Special Education, English, Math or Science, tutoring can be a lucrative option. You are able to set your own hours, and only work as much as you want. If you tutor any advanced High School classes, your pay is at a premium. I even know a colleague at work who charges $100/hour for Math tutoring.
Most tutoring is found word of mouth. Another option is Wyzant
Marking papers
This is my preferred side hustle. If you are knowledgeable in programs like Advanced Placement or the International Baccalaureate, you can make a lot of money in marking the free response portions of the exams. When you become an AP Reader, the college board flies you out and puts you up in a hotel to grade AP exams for about a week. I have never done it, but colleagues say it is a great opportunity. You also get an honorarium of about $1700-1800 for the session. For those that can’t be away from home, the college board also administers the SAT exam and employs essay readers who work from home
IB examiners grade from home on their computer. You lose out on the professional opportunities of interacting with colleagues, but you benefit from more money. A few years ago, the IB switched from paper marking to online marking. As a result, many people who don’t like looking at their computer screens for a long time, dropped out. Their loss is our gain! For the past two years, we average about $13,000 per year in marking papers!
Other side hustles for teachers
If you are a successful teacher with many engaging lesson plans, perhaps you can sell them!
Teachers Pay Teachers is a site where teachers can make money by selling their teaching ideas and lessons to others. TES (Times Educational Supplement) is another site for teachers to sell their lessons and work.
Non-teaching side hustles
While some side hustles are tailor-made for teachers, they are tons of other out there.
For teachers, many may be good at writing. If that is the case, it is easier than ever to write and self-publish your own e-book. Who knows, maybe you can write a book about side hustles! Oh the irony! (click below)
We are hoping to start a conversation and help each other out!
So teachers, what side hustles do you do for extra cash? Non-teachers, we would love to hear from you too! Leave a comment below in the comments section. Should you have your own side business, free advertising for you!
