How Teachers Can Turn Summer Side Gigs Into Year-Round Work

By Guest Blogger Joyce Wilson

While there is no doubt teachers are some of the hardest-working people around, the nature of their job affords them a significant amount of time off. A couple of months every summer, plus a couple of weeks at Christmas (along with various holidays and breaks) means they have time to pursue a side hustle to increase their income. Let’s take a look at a few summer side gigs for teachers that they can also work into their schedule during the school year.

Home Workspace

If you are going to pursue a side gig as a teacher, you should set up a dedicated workspace at home. Designating a specific area where you will work helps you focus and avoid the inevitable distractions that come with working at home. Setting consistent office hours will help with this as well. If your family knows you are working when they see in your workspace at a particular time everyday, they are less likely to interrupt you.

Make sure your workspace has all the equipment you need. Invest in a good laptop computer to start and add what you need as you get into your specific job.

Tutoring

Take advantage of your natural skills as a teacher and set up your own tutoring business during the summers and after school. You could focus on students in your own community who need extra help in your area of expertise; you’ll have a natural market with students at your school. You can also tutor students online through a service such as Wyzant, which matches tutors with students looking for help. Another hot area is test prep. If you have expertise in preparing students for the ACT or SAT, for example, your services will be in demand.

Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)

There is no shortage of people who want to learn English. If you are good with languages, this may be a great opportunity for you. Local agencies in your community may offer classes, and you can also teach online. VIPKID is an industry leader in teaching English online, for example. You can set your own hours, and because you are teaching kids on the other side of the world, their schedules often match your off hours.

Selling Lesson Plans and Classes Online

As a teacher, you already have a stash of lesson plans you have put together for your classes. Guess what? Other teachers are looking for new lesson plan ideas. Why not package your plans and post them in an online marketplace for teachers?

You could also put your knowledge together into an online course and sell it on a platform like Udemy. The great thing about selling plans and classes online is that once you have put the information together, any income you make from it is passive (not directly tied to continuing time and effort from you).

Freelance Writing or Blogging

If you have writing skills, you can start your own freelance writing business. Whether your focus is magazine articles, website copy, business writing or more, there is boundless opportunity online. You can set up your own writing website or you can sign up for Upwork, which offers freelance services to a large audience.

Also consider starting a blog if you are passionate about a specific subject. While this won’t be an instant payoff in terms of income, consistent blogging over time will attract advertisers and build a loyal audience who will buy information products you create. Use a resource like Smart Blogger to get started.

Any of the ideas listed above can pay off for teachers who want to extend a summer side gig throughout the year. A little online research can turn up dozens of other ideas, including gigs like driving for Uber on nights and weekends or renting out an extra bedroom on Airbnb. You are only limited by your imagination.

Photo from Unsplash